2009 Ch. Latour, Pauillac

Perfect. Simply perfect... I contemplated just leaving my note as just that as I really don’t know how to describe this astonishing wine beyond that. The balance between power and finesse, the hugely concentrated black/red juice, the ridiculously fine-textured tannins and the astonishing length totally took my breath away. This is now the finest wine I have ever tasted En Primeur and does eclipse its fabulous 2005. Pure. Precise. Perfect.
(Simon Staples, BBR Sales & Marketing Director)

Black red, huge concentration of black fruits and great purity, wonderfully fragrant nose with wild violets and lifted freshness, great length and perfect texture, totally Latour and all the fruit and vineyard will come out over the years. (91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.7% Merlot)
(Steven Spurrier - Decanter - Apr 2010)

Very deep and glowing crimson. Very rich and sweet ink on the nose. Wonderfully gorgeous and lush on the front palate. Then lots of heat and richness. Amazing power of fruit on the mid palate gives way to extremely pronounced tannins. Transparent, mellifluous, spicy. Violets, says Engerer. Dry Taylors port? Latour backbone. Glossy ripe fruit. Candied violets. Maybe in 03 we went overboard. Enormous energy. Very impressive.
(Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com - Apr 2010)

The 2009 Latour has off the charts concentration in addition to the highest level of tannin ever measured at the estate. The final blend was somewhat unusual in that it consists of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7% Merlot, and clocked in at13.7% alcohol (even higher than the 2003). Possibly a 100-year wine, it boasts an inky/black/purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of superintense blue and black fruits, graphite, and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality. Enormously full-bodied yet at the same time incredibly fresh, vibrant, and precise, it coats the mouth, and builds incrementally to skyscraper-like texture, and a whopping finish that lasts over a minute. This remarkable wine reveals a certain accessibility already, yet one senses that it will be even richer, more nuanced, and fuller by the time it is bottled in mid-2011. A monumental wine from a monumental vintage in the Medoc, this is our children's children's children's elixir.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - April 2010)

This is incredibly floral on the nose, with violet and lilac as well as dark and ripe raspberry and blueberry. Full-bodied, with a dense and incredibly rich palate yet held back and in reserve. Such precision and beauty. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This reminds me of the 1990, but better made and better raised. It is really the style of Latour, where the tannins grab you at the end. This will most likely be a perfect wine.
(James Suckling - Wine Spectator - March 2010)