Showing posts with label #latourpauillac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #latourpauillac. Show all posts

Friday, May 9, 2025

LeDomduVin: Portrait, LeDomduVin & Château Latour Pauillac 2015




Ledomduvin & Château Latour 2015


In my previous post (a few days ago), "Portrait," I mentioned that the pictures were taken on my last day before turning 50. 

Well, here we go again. Tonight is my last day before turning 52 tomorrow. 

A colleague took this picture earlier tonight, just before serving this beautiful wine, Chateau Latour 2015, for a private dinner. The wine was succulent! 😋👍🍷🍷🍷





Although this particular decanter may convey a certain elegance, one cannot help but notice and even laugh at its phallic form. That was the only style available in the restaurant. It is a question of taste, and I'm not judging anything or anyone, but I must admit that the vision of such a decanter always sketches a smile on my face.  😉😁👍🍷 





Château Latour Pauillac 2015


Château Latour needs no introduction. It is one of the most outstanding wines from Pauillac and Bordeaux and is among the largest, with 96.5 hectares of vines. This includes "The Enclos," the 47-hectare walled vineyard surrounding the Chateau that was converted entirely to organic farming with the 2015 vintage, and roughly 50 hectares outside of "The Enclos."     

What makes it great is that the Grand Vin of Chateau Latour is made exclusively from “Vieilles Vignes, "which are, on average, 60 years old, from the best parcels of "The Enclos."  

The Enclos's core terroir consistently delivers the depth, elegance, and concentration expected from the Grand Vin. Here, the Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 90% of the blend, reaches its best expression in terms of color, richness, and freshness. Chateau Latour's Grand Vin requires time and rewards those who have the patience to wait a decade or more to fully enjoy its potential.  

In exceptional vintages, the strength and vibrancy of Château Latour's wines allow them to develop effortlessly over several decades. The bouquet and impressions during tasting gradually evolve, becoming more complex until they peak, after which the tannins soften and the wine slowly tames down. Beyond the enjoyment of drinking them, these wines evoke powerful emotions and create unforgettable moments. This perfectly describes my experience with this magnificent 2015 vintage. 

Bought a few years ago from sound provenance and kept at an ideal temperature and humidity level in a Eurocave, the bottle was pristine, and the cork was in perfect condition. Due to its youth and as it was a bit shy on the nose, I decanted it (roughly 45 minutes before serving). I retasted it before serving it, and it had opened up nicely. 

Spawned from an exceptional vintage, Chateau Latour 2015 is a blend of roughly 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.6% Merlot, and less than 1% Petit Verdot. In the glass, the wine displayed a dark garnet color. On the nose, after 45 minutes decanting, its shyness at opening gave way to warmer and complex aromas of dark fruits like blackberries and plums mingling with mocha, graphite, and floral notes. The palate showed richness, complexity, and power in a soft velvet glove way, with excellent balance and freshness. Its concentration expanded nicely from the attack to the lingering finish, coating the mouth with ripe dark fruits, woody, earthy, spicy notes, and mineral, umami, and salty nuances. The tannins were present yet perfectly integrated. What a magnificent wine! 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

Full post with tasting notes on my blog at www.ledomduvin.com (link in bio) 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #portrait #wine #vin #vino #wein #chateaulatour #pauillac #bordeaux #tastingnotes #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #lovewine


Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2025, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

Thursday, September 5, 2024

LeDomduVin: Latour 2005 vs Latour 2009




Latour 2005 vs Latour 2009


It is not every day that I open two bottles of the same Chateau in different vintages, especially one of my favorite First Growths.

Comparing two vintages of Chateau Latour, such as 2005 and 2009, is tricky as both have similarities. Yet, they are distinctively and intrinsically different.

Both were solar vintages with high temperatures and dry, hot growing seasons, which produced ripe, rich, layered, and concentrated wines.

These conditions could have resulted in high alcohol, unbalanced, or cooked wines.

Fortunately, some cool nights and enough rain at the right time provided juiciness, balance, and freshness while preventing drought and overripeness, resulting in wines combining complexity and depth with great aging potential.

Ultimately, 2005 was an excellent vintage that produced some fantastic wines, while 2009 is considered a legendary vintage that produced stellar wines.

This might explain the 200+ Euro price difference between the two. On Wine Searcher, Chateau Latour 2005 starts at around 680 Euros, and Latour 2009 starts at around 870 Euros, and it shows in the glass.

Although both displayed a dark color, undoubtedly due to their age difference, the aspect of the 2005 seemed lighter, more medium-deep ruby color with slightly more advanced nuances, while the 2009 was of a darker ruby red with some purple touch.

The difference between the two wines was quite significant on the nose. The 2005 was soft, gentle, discreet, and sophisticated. It displayed attractive aromas of red and dark berries, cassis, graphite, coffee, and licorice, with earthy, spicy, and floral hints. On the other hand, the 2009 was bold, powerful, and confident. It boasted dark berries, blackberries, and mocha aromas, with hints of toasted oak and chocolate.

These differences appeared even more evident on the palate. Although complex, balanced, sophisticated, and finely chiseled, the 2005 seemed lighter and dryer than the 2009, which was rich, opulent, juicy, and chewy. It had plenty of dark ripe fruits, excellent balance, and concentration, expanding nicely to the lingering finish.

I loved them both despite their differences, yet I found the 2009 more pleasurable to my palate. My advice: don’t open and drink them side by side, as it might alter your opinion about the 2005, which is also a superb wine yet slightly less expressive than its younger sibling.

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin @chateau latour #chateaulatour #latour #latourpauillac #pauillac #bordeaux #redwine #grandcru #premiergrandcru #firstgrowth #tastingnotes #winecomparison #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #wineyearly



Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2024, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

LeDomduVin: Mise en place!



Mise en place!


When you're a Sommelier, having some classics from Bordeaux and Burgundy on hand in the cellar is essential. 😊👍🍷 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #chateaulatour #latourpauillac #latour @domainemongeard #mongeardmugneret @chateaumargaux #chateaumargaux #classics #miseenplace #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #wineyearly



Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2024, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).