1981 Latour
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Tasting notes
The 1981 Latour is a wine that have encountered on three occasions previously. It has a rather lean and herbaceous nose, fully mature and missing the vigor I expect from a First Growth. The palate is marked by rather rustic tannin with modest amounts of leafy black fruit, but the bottom line is that the 1981 is a rather dull and staid Latour that, whilst perfectly drinkable, is inevitably dwarfed by the following vintage. Tasted at a private dinner in London.
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Magnum . Sweet and sour on the nose. Extremely fresh and pure with marked acidity. This wine cried out for food and went well with our beef carpaccio. In fact with its tannin and acidity, its structure is not unlike that of an Italian red – a superior Chianti perhaps. (JR)
The 1981 tastes remarkably velvety and supple for such a young Latour--not that this is a malevolent occurrence--because the excellence, complexity, and richness of the wine are still present. The color is dark ruby, the bouquet offers plenty of ripe cassis and spicy oak, and the flavor is generous, silky, moderately tannic, and long in the finish. This Latour may turn out to be similar to the 1971. Anticipated maturity: Now-2005. Last tasted, 9/90.
A stiff and upright wine. Medium red color with an amber edge. Attractive aromas of black truffles, berries and cigar tobacco. Medium-bodied, with firm tannins and a slightly dry finish.--Latour vertical. Drink now. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 2000
About the producer
One of Bordeaux’s five First Growths, as classified in 1855, Ch. Latour is among the most famous addresses in Pauillac and the world. The estate is renowned for its long-ageing, powerful and structured wines.