Château Latour 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2014, 75cl

The 2014 Latour is one of the very finest wines of a vintage that favored the northern Médoc. Mingling aromas of wild berries and cassis with hints of cigar wrapper, loamy soil, black truffles and classy new oak, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its broad attack segueing into a deep, tightly wound mid-palate that’s framed by powdery, chalky tannins and bright acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. This classically balanced, youthfully structured young wine looks set to enjoy prodigious longevity. It’s reminiscent of a modern-day version of a cooler vintage such as 1996, though of course these days maturity is more complete and selection even more rigorous than was the case two decades ago.- William Kelley, Wine Advocate

This has aromas of black fruit, olives, wet earth, dried lavender, cloves and bark. Bitter chocolate and walnuts, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Structured, with great freshness and length. Cedar notes on the lighter mid-palate. Still a little tight and chewy. Try from 2024.

The tannins in this fine vintage of Latour are still enormous, dominating the black currant fruit. It has spice, tannins, impressive fruit and a pure, cool character. To be released in the mid-2020s, the wine is likely to age for many years. Enjoy from 2027.

Gunsmoke, grilled cassis, slate, liqourice bud, lavender, espresso, muscular and still very young, plenty of coiled power here, autumnal fruit that is ripe but not over-exuberant. A ton of appellation typicity, Latour always manages to deliver concentration and focus, and one year on from my last tasting (at the time of the wine’s first release) this hovers on the edge of opening up but has many more layers to uncover. Love the gentle grip that slows down and draws out the finish. Eric Boissenot consultant, Hélène Génin technical director. Harvest September 18 September to October 15.