2002 Latour
By Chateau Latour
2002 Latour from Chateau Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux
The 2002 vintage of Bordeaux, though often overshadowed by the surrounding illustrious years, presented an opportunity for estates like Chateau Latour to exhibit their prowess in winemaking. The 2002 Latour from the renowned Chateau Latour is a testament to the estate’s resilience and masterful adaptation to the testing conditions that year.
Refinement Against Adversity
The weather in 2002 was a tightrope walk between ideal and challenging, with a damp spring giving way to a dry and warm summer, keeping the vintners on their toes. The result? A yield of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot that has transcended expectations. The wine's composition mirrors Pauillac's distinguished terroir—majestic yet precise, stoic yet eloquent in its delivery on the palate.
The Investment-Worthy Taste of Resilience
The 2002 Latour reveals a dense ruby hue that speaks of its vitality even years after its creation. On the nose, one detects an intricate tapestry of blackcurrants, plums, and an undercurrent of earthy truffles—each sniff brings forth a new layer to explore. Swirling this nectar in one's glass ignites a sensory bouquet of subtle spices and refined oak notes.
The palate is where the 2002 Latour truly reveals its craftsmanship. Elegantly structured tannins suggest an underlying strength buttressing a medium body that exudes equanimity between masculine rigour and feminine finesse. Graphite and subtle tobacco nuances mingled with dark berry flavours affirm its Pauillac pedigree.
A completion favouring savant investment-driven connoisseurs, the 2002 Latour from Chateau Latour beholds not only an exercise in mastery of viniculture but also promises to be an astute addition to one's fine wine portfolio, growing ever more nuanced with patience. This unheralded vintage deserves its place amongst refined cellars and balanced financial portfolios alike.
Market price (HKD)
HK$47,794.50
12x75cl
Highest score
96
POP score
312.5
Scores and tasting notes
The wine of the vintage? There are only 10,000 cases of this extraordinarily rich, dense 2002 that is as powerful as the 2003 (even the alcohol levels are nearly the same, 12.85%) . It is dark ruby/purple to the rim, with notes of English walnuts, crushed rocks, black currants, and forest floor, dense, full-bodied, and opulent, yet classic with spectacular aromatics, marvelous purity, and a full-bodied finish that lasts just over 50+ seconds. Huge richness and the sweetness of the tannin are somewhat deceptive as this wine seems set for a long life. Administrator Frederic Engerer seems to be more pleased with what Latour achieved in 2002 than in any other recent vintage. Hats off to him for an extraordinary accomplishment in a vintage that wouldn’t have been expected to produce the raw materials to achieve something at this level of quality. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2045.
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 28 April 2005
Served blind at the chateau, it is amazing how well this wine performs in blind tastings. There is great clarity on the nose, you can almost smell those “caillou” in the vineyard, pure black fruits, freshly rolled tobacco, crushed stone and just a faint hint of Xmas cake (must be the time of season!) The palate is well structured with firm tannins, quite masculine even for Latour with cedar and graphite, underpinned by exquisite delineation on the finish. Wonderful. Tasted December 2009.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jan 2011