Château Latour-Martillac 2019

Undeniably Pessac in style, quite elegant and sappy on the palate, long and persistent on the finish. It lacks a bit of energy.

This compact yet accessible wine is juicy, offering a solid burst of steeped plum and black currant fruit laced with black licorice and ending with a tarry note. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2029. 12,500 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.

A hint of ripe sweetness to the fruit on the nose, this has good depth and some sculpted full fruit on the palate – blackcurrant and black cherries – but the oak spicing is still seriously apparent and it blocks a lot of the exuberance at this stage with cloves, black pepper and dark chocolate tones. A powerful wine, broad-shouldered with lots of potential, but a little hidden underneath tannins and oak right now.

Sweet berry, spice, tobacco and dried rose-petal aromas. Full-bodied with beautifully integrated tannins and a creamy, polished texture. Refined and complex. One of the best young bottles ever from here. Better after 2025.

50% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot. Black core, inky rim. Intensely dark and charry on the nose. Stone-dust and intense black fruit combined. Fills the mouth but the tannins slim down to a long and more elegant finish. (JH)

The 2019 Latour-Martillac was a little perplexing from the barrel samples that I received a few months back. Now in bottle, here is the Pessac-Léognan I know, with ample blackberry, cedar, black olive and light marine scents on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite fleshy but still nicely structured, and showing fine backbone on the sappy, white-pepper- and sage-tinged finish. Now this is promising.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. A hint of liquorice, soft notes of dried plums and dark chocolate, candied orange zest. Taut, dark cherries, some cardamom, somewhat angular tannins, mineral and herbal spice on the finish, bitter chocolate on the aftertaste.

I loved the 2019 Château Latour-Martillac, and I under-rated it from barrel. Revealing a dense ruby/plum color as well as a gorgeous bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherry, smoked tobacco, gravelly earth, and chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, supple tannins, and one heck of a finish. It's beautifully done and will cruise for 25+ years in cold cellars. It needs plenty of air if drinking any time soon.

Deep purple with a ruby rim. Seductive bouquet of ripe blackberries, refined cassis spice and liquorice, followed by perfumed pipe tobacco. On the firm palate, a powdery extract and a tightly knit tannic framework; a wild Pessac-Léognan that still needs taming. In the focused finish it shuts down, with noticeable, crumbly astringency. Does not fully convince me despite its good attributes. Potential rating!

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 14.2% alc./vol., production 150,000 bottles) Deep, silky, fresh bouquet, cassis, blueberries, cedar, café au lait. Elegant, dense palate with powerful fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a finely muscular structure, complex aromatics, and a long, aromatic finish. Has room to improve.

(72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 14.2% abv, production 150,000 bottles) Deep, silky, fresh bouquet, cassis, blueberries, cedar, café au lait. Elegant, dense palate with powerful fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a finely muscular structure, varied aromatics, and a long, aromatic finish. Still has room to improve. 17/20 2025 - 2045

Rich ruby red colour, this is an excellent Latour Martillac that goes deep and wide, with muscular tannins that let juice run through them. A little subdued at first, it needs coaxing out of the glass as there is power here, but it builds slowly rather than shouting. Everything feels in place, with savoury fruits, cocoa bean, liquorice root and cigar box. Ready for ageing for a good few decades. 40% new oak, harvest September 19 to October 11.

The 2019 Latour-Martillac Rouge is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it shimmies out with gregarious notions of kirsch, stewed blackberries, and chocolate-covered cherries, plus wafts of pencil shavings and bay leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly knit with bright, youthful fruit and a grainy texture, finishing with a red berry lift.

A nose of blue fruits with notes of dark chocolate and Indian spices (cardamom and cassia). The palate is smooth and sophisticated, revealing more mineral, vanilla notes and a deliciously chalky, crunchy texture. A very successful wine.

Freshness and intense fruit characterize the bouquet of Latour-Martillac, complemented by notes of licorice and graphite. As always, Latour-Martillac stands out for its finesse on the palate. The tannins are velvety, bringing a creamy touch. Beautiful aromatic expression from the very first sip. A fresh, juicy, and persistent wine.

Logo on the cork: AL Dark, intense color. Highly aromatic nose, delicate, fruity and subtle. Delicate on the attack, very fruity mid-palate, with flavor, body and a cohesive progression; the wine finishes with a touch of oak, but its tannins are very well wrapped. Wait for it to meld. Good length.

Owned by the Kressmann family, a long-established Bordeaux negociant, this wine has ripe black fruits and dusty tannins. Both rich and structured, this wine needs aging and will be ready from 2026.