Our Wines & Spirits

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: The 2012 Latour is a blend of 90.2% CabernetSauvignon, 9.6% Merlot and 0.2% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnetcolored, the nose slowly, measuredly emerges with notions ofpreserved Morello cherries, baked blackcurrants and blackberrycompote, giving way to nuances of pencil shavings, unsmoked cigars,Chinese five spice and sandalwood plus ever so subtle hints ofcardamom and eucalyptus. Medium-bodied, the palate deliversmouth-coating black and red fruit preserves with a firm,grainy-textured frame and fantastic freshness, finishing with averitable firework display of lingering spices and minerals. Thisis a more restrained, relatively elegant vintage of Latour that maynot have that "iron fist in a velvet glove" power of the greatestvintages but nonetheless struts its superior terroir andbehind-the-scenes savoir faire with impressive panache. It isdrinking nicely now with suitably rounded-off, approachabletannins, and the tertiary characters are just beginning to bringsome more cerebral elements into the compote of temptingly primaryblack fruits. But, if you're looking to drink it in full,flamboyant swing, give it another 5-10 years in bottle and drink itover the next 20-25 years+.