2012 Château Latour

• Producer: Château Latour
• Varietal: Red Blend
• Region: Bordeaux
• Alcohol: 13.0%
• Net volume: 750ml
• Vintage: 2012

Throughout the last century, Château Latour has been the most consistent of the Premier Crus. Latour draws its quintessence from an exceptional terroir, certainly the most spectacular in the Médoc: this gently curving hilltop, overlooking the wide estuary which provides thermal immobility (it never freezes on these soils), covered by a deep layer of broad, round gravel, carefully drained, bears witness to the gift of the great wine that is Latour. The vineyard covers 65 hectares in production, including 47 hectares around the Château, also known as the “Enclos”. Only the vines located in this “Enclos” are used to produce the first wine. This unique terroir is due both to the vines' good underground supply, and to the presence of the Gironde, which moderates excessive summer temperatures. The soils and climate of the Médoc also enable early ripening of the grapes. In terms of grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates and reveals all its complexity here. The poor Graves soil forces it to go down deep to draw water and mineral elements. The wines are concentrated, racy and powerful. Then there's the contribution of Merlot, which accounts for 20% of the final blend. It adapts perfectly to the more clayey areas of l'Enclos. It adds fullness, roundness and velvety texture. Château Latour, one of the most sought-after and renowned wines in the world today, is produced from the best vines of l'Enclos, the incomparable historic terroir surrounding Château Latour. Up to 4 grape varieties can be used to make this flagship of Pauillac, with 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and, depending on the vintage, traces of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The grapes are harvested by hand, and the extractive, parcel-by-parcel vinification takes place in stainless steel vats before ageing in new oak barrels from the Allier and Nièvre forests. The result is a great wine, so rich that we could talk for hours about its innumerable qualities. But three words often sum it up: depth, elegance and concentration. Ageing can be counted in decades, and L'Avis du Vin's selection is no exception, with 1960 as the most distant year, and numerous vintages, including 1993, 2000, 2003 and 2009, which specialists are snapping up.

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