2003 Château Latour

FRANCE / BORDEAUX / PAUILLAC
abv 13.0%
  • 100 WA
  • 98 WS
  • 97 IWC
  • 90 JR
  • Variety
    Red Bordeaux Blend
See all wines from Château Latour
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SKU: 52801-2003

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  • International Wine Cellar | Rating: 97

    ($449-$850) Red-ruby. Explosive aromas of plum liqueur, currant, minerals and lead pencil. Huge, lush, sweet and utterly seamless; this has the palate-caressing texture of liquid velvet. About as deep as this extreme vintage gets. Finishes with noble, compellingly sweet tannins and great length. This is amazing wine, and only its exotic character prevented me from giving it an even higher score. Interestingly, the IPT here is 65, compared to 67 for the 2005. But this voluminous and powerful wine will be more fun to drink than the 2005 for many years simply due to its sensual appeal, even if the 2005 should ultimately surpass it in verve, minerality and overall aromatic complexity. (Incidentally, Latour's third wine, simply called Pauillac, is extremely good in both 2005 and 2003-the former vintage showing terrific energy and loads of early personality, and the latter fat, round and exotic, with what Engerer described as a |Napa nose.|)
    Author: Stephen Tanzer
    Issue: May/June 2006

  • Wine Advocate | Rating: 100

    2003 was one of the hottest, earliest Bordeaux vintages ever. Some vines suffered from lack of moisture, but old vines and clay subsoil at Enclos saw this vineyard through. The Merlot harvest occurred between September 8 and 13, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked between September 22 and 30. The 2003 Latour is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Six percent of the press wine was added to the final blend. It has a medium to deep garnet-purple color, then wow—it explodes from the glass with bombastic black and blue fruits, followed up by meat, wood smoke, sandalwood and Indian spice accents with underlying floral wafts. The palate is full, rich, velvety, seductive and very long on the finish. There were only 10,800 cases made (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000).
    Author: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
    Issue: Issue 241 End of February 2019

  • Jancis Robinson | Rating: 18

    Dark crimson. Glowing. Lovely depth, smoothness and glamour. This is the business! Long and fresh and wonderfully well balanced. (Average group score: 19)
    Author: Jancis Robinson

  • Wine Spectator | Rating: 98

    Intense aromas of blackberry, licorice, currant and mineral. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a long, long finish. Very refined and beautiful. Goes on for minutes. This reminds me of the fabulous 1996. But even better. 10,000 cases made.
    Drink Dates: 2012+
    Author: James Suckling
    Issue: Mar 31, 2006

  • Vinous | Rating: 97

    The 2003 Latour remains a redoubtable First Growth and a testament to its terroir that manifested such a great wine in a challenging growing season. You could argue that it does not disguise the heat of that notorious summer as deftly as the 2003 Montrose since there is still a touch more volatility here than other vintages. But there are gorgeous notes of black cherry, black truffle, cedar and a touch of cooked meat. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannin. The acidity is very finely tuned considering the season and there is plenty of glycerine towards the sumptuous finish. Maybe it is more a great 2003 than a great Latour, but there are few recent vintages that are so delicious. Tasted at the International Business & Wine Latour dinner at Ten Trinity.
    Drink Dates: 2018 - 2050
    Author: Neal Martin
    Issue: Jul 2018
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  • Self | Rating: 100

    Author: dave1161

  • Self | Rating: 100

    Author: winefolio

  • Self | Rating: 95

    Author: saint

  • Self | Rating: 98

    Author: gd10102

  • Self | Rating: 98

    Drink Dates: 2010-2035
    Author: Guest Guest

  • Self | Rating: 97

    Deep Blue Baby. Double decanted, at 9:45AM for service at dinner. Light sediment. Aromas did not wait for the glass, came soaring out of the bottle with the cork. Took one sip before rebottling -- black fruit, cassis essence, tar. Sweet nose, huge body and grip. Going to be great tonight and for many nights to come. At dinner, 8PM, first pour is muted, dark and reflective. Clear coating the glass, but very rich in |Napa quality| fruit (but at 13% alcohol) Tannins are ripe, present but very silky. Huge. Delicious to drink, like a top Cab. Then, an hour and a half later, it's a completely different wine, at another level of complexity. Not richer, but more intense and distinct. Floral, pine forest, mint, lingonberry, an utterly captivating nose that stops you dead. Brighter on the mid palate. Mouth watering finish, goes on for 60+ seconds. Not a classic Latour, but certainly an amazing top Bordeaux. Priced like two top wines, don't drink so fast that you miss that second one! Enjoy now with time, or watch the evolution for decades. (97 pts.)
    Drink Dates: 2015-2035
    Author: Miguel L

  • Self | Rating: 97

    The shocker of the evening. The nose was purely candied, w/ licorice and sweet chocolate that were flat out sexy. The palate penetration was phenomenal, it reminded me of a top flight Achaval Ferrer Malbec. Pure raspberry ganache, plush and generous w/ the most impressive length of all the wines tasted during the evening. A young Latour as candied and sexy? Hell has frozen over.
    Drink Dates: 04-01-2008
    Author: Brad Coelho
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Chateau Latour is among the First Growth properties classified in the Bordeaux 1855 Classification. The estate is situated in the southern portion of Pauillac, bordering St. Julien and the Gironde estuary. Latour is considered one of the longest-lasting First Growths, reflecting its high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend is typically 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The fruit is grown in vineyards with notably high levels of gravel and an ideal southeastern exposure. Latour is typified by its concentrated fruit and complexity. Young vintages are forward and jammy with multiple layers of fruit. Aromas include black-currant, cherry and prune, with a dusty bouquet of mint, leather, cedar, and tobacco. Chateau Latour can age a lifetime and should not be approached for ten to twenty years. Some of the best vintages include 1949, 1959, 1961, 1982, 1990, and 2000. Chateau Latour also produces a second wine called Les Forts de Latour and a third wine labeled simply Pauillac.

See other similar producers:Chateau Haut Brion,Chateau Margaux,Chateau Leoville Las Cases
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Located in the southwest of France, Bordeaux is the single largest fine-wine-producing region in the world, with more than 15,000 growers spread over 57 appellations and more than 700 million bottles produced annually. The region boasts a two-thousand-year winemaking history and some of the wine world's most recognized and highly sought-after names. Red Bordeaux blends comprise eighty percent of production, but dry and sweet whites are also well-known. The region is divided into the Left and Right Banks (of the Dordogne River); Cabernet Sauvignon prevails in the former and Merlot in the latter.
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White Bordeaux blends are most commonly composed of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and come in a range of dry and sweet styles. Sémillon contributes body while Sauvignon Blanc adds high acidity, a characteristic that is particularly important in the sweet wines of Bordeaux.

Sauternes is one of the world’s most prestigious regions for sweet wine production, made possible by Sémillon’s affinity for noble rot. Wines from world-renowned Château d’Yquem are fermented and matured in new oak for up to three years and can age for decades in bottle. These wines display complex aromas of melon, honey, apricot, citrus peel, mango, and butterscotch and develop added complexity and aromas with age.

The best dry wines from this blend come from producers such as Château Haut-Brion, Château Pape Clément, and Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac-Léognan and Graves. These wines are typically fermented and matured in new oak and display a full-bodied richness with concentrated nutty flavors overlaying the fruit.

Due to its freshness and flavor profile, dry white Bordeaux blends pair well with almost any white food, including all types of fish, poultry, veal, and pork. The sweet wines of Bordeaux pair well with foie gras, oysters, blue cheese, spicy food (particularly Asian cuisines), any dish with sweet notes, and of course, dessert.
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Collector Data For This Wine

  • 5174 bottles owned
  • 509 collectors
  • Average collector rating: 98
    (Out of 509 collectors)