Latour 1996 3L

The 1996 Chateau Latour is a classic Bordeaux blend made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. It boasts a deep, garnet color with a nose that is a little austere at first, but then opens up to reveal rich, pure fruit aromas. On the palate, this wine is balanced, with a solid tannic structure and perfect, plump tannins thanks to superb maturity. The concentration of this wine takes on a delightfully rich aspect, with very pure fruit. The finish is long and persistent, indicating that this wine will age well for many years to come. Overall, this is a classic wine that showcases the best of Bordeaux winemaking, though it may benefit from proper decanting to fully appreciate its quality.

Robert Parker - 95+ Points

"From my cellar, the 1996 Latour is still a very youthful, tightly wound wine, unfurling in the glass with notions of blackcurrants, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and English walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's built around by ripe, increasingly melting tannins and a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Given this Latour's ruby-black hue and impeccable structure, it still has a long future ahead of it. Today, it really begins to expatiate after four hours in a decanter."

Antonio Galloni - 94 Points

"The 1996 Latour is a wine that I often find overrated and did not achieve everything that might have been possible in this favourable growing season. That said, this might well be the best of around two dozen bottles I have encountered over the years. As usual, the 1996 is decidedly austere at first, standoffish, looks down its nose at you. Yet it coalesces with time and develops engaging cedar-scented black fruit tinged with pencil box and a touch of iris with time. The palate (again) is a little muted at first but it soon found its voice and evolved very fine tannin allied with a crisp line of acidity. It is not quite as demonstrative as it was even just a couple of years ago, gained some detail and perhaps it will continue to meliorate. Very fine, very fine indeed - but not a patch of say, the Château Margaux or perhaps even Léoville Las Cases. Tasted at the International Business & Wine Latour dinner at Ten Trinity."