2010 Château Latour-Martillac, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
A darker feel overall than the 2009 - bilberry, cassis, blackberry notes, shot through with the sharper acidities of redcurrant and raspberry to add lift. The tannins remain just a touch austere at 11 years old, but you can begin to drink this with a good carafe, or wait for things to relax and soften a little more over the next two to three years. 40% new oak.
Drink 2022 - 2036
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (September 2021)
The 2010 La Tour Martillac vindicates itself as perhaps the "insiders' choice" from Pessac-Léognan. It has a well defined bouquet with blackberry, cassis, black olive and estuarine scents bouquet that is very complex and involving. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a pinch of black pepper towards the smooth and harmonious finish. It remains very backward but there is immense potential here. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.
Drink 2025 - 2045
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (February 2020)
Tasted blind.
Deep smudgy garnet. Lots of oak sweetness at first on the nose. But also mocha and slightly herbal. Nicely dry in texture. Deep, chewy and compact but finishes fresh.
Drink 2025 - 2035
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com (February 2020)
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Latour Martillac gives up notes of crushed rocks, tar and black olives over a core of stewed plums, cedar chest and dried herbs with a touch of dried cranberries. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid frame of chewy tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing savory.
Drink 2020 - 2028
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2020)
I love the mid-palate to this young and attractive red, with silky tannins and alluring mineral, berry and stone character. Enchanting.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (April 2011)
About this WINE
Chateau Latour-Martillac
La Tour Martillac has been owned and managed by the Kressmann family since the late 19th century and now under the stewardship of Tristan and Loïc Kressmann.
The tower that gives its name to this estate is all that remains of the 12th century fortification. The reds are typically a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (59%), Merlot (35%) and Malbec (6%). The whites are produced from Semillon (60%), Sauvignon Blanc (35%) and Muscasdelle (5%)
The wines have continued to improve in quality with the aid of some top Bordeaux consultants. Famously the gold and black label dates back to 1929, designed specifically for a bottle served in 1936 for the coronation of George Vl.
Pessac-Léognan
In 1986 a new communal district was created within Graves, in Bordeaux, based on the districts of Pessac and Léognan, the first of which lies within the suburbs of the city. Essentially this came about through pressure from Pessac-Léognan vignerons, who wished to disassociate themselves from growers with predominately sandy soils further south in Graves.
Pessac-Léognan has the best soils of the region, very similar to those of the Médoc, although the depth of gravel is more variable, and contains all the classed growths of the region. Some of its great names, including Ch. Haut-Brion, even sit serenely and resolutely in Bordeaux's southern urban sprawl.
The climate is milder than to the north of the city and the harvest can occur up to two weeks earlier. This gives the best wines a heady, rich and almost savoury character, laced with notes of tobacco, spice and leather. Further south, the soil is sandier with more clay, and the wines are lighter, fruity and suitable for earlier drinking.
Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Haut-Brion, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Ch. Pape Clément, Ch Haut-Bailly, Domaine de Chevalier, Ch. Larrivet-Haut-Brion, Ch. Carmes Haut-Brion, Ch. La Garde, Villa Bel-Air.
Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
A darker feel overall than the 2009 - bilberry, cassis, blackberry notes, shot through with the sharper acidities of redcurrant and raspberry to add lift. The tannins remain just a touch austere at 11 years old, but you can begin to drink this with a good carafe, or wait for things to relax and soften a little more over the next two to three years. 40% new oak.
Drink 2022 - 2036
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (September 2021)
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee