During the En Primeur campaign last year, Chateau Latour announced that they would be moving away from the system and releasing older wines ex Chateau. The first of these releases has been made this week with Chateau Latour 1995 and Les Forts de Latour 2005 being made available. We are pleased to be able to offer these wines in New Zealand. They are available to purchase now through our website, the stocks themselves will be available ex Chateau in May. This release offers a unique opportunity outside En Primeur to purchase one of the Bordeaux first growths direct from Chateau, these bottles will be shipped to New Zealand in a temperature controlled container, then straight into our temperature controlled storage. Both wines have been very well rated by the media. 
Chateau Latour 1995
“I have been blown away by this wine on recent occasions, and all of my hopes for it being a prodigious example of Latour after bottling have proven to be correct. The wine is a more unctuously-textured, sweeter, more accessible Latour than the 1996. Wow! What a fabulous, profound wine this has turned out to be. It is unquestionably one of the great wines of the vintage, and will probably need 10-12 years of cellaring before it can be approached. The wine reveals an opaque purple color, and a knock-out nose of chocolate, walnuts, minerals, spice, and blackberry and cassis fruit. Exceptionally full-bodied, with exhilarating levels of glycerin, richness, and personality, this wine, despite its low acidity, possesses extremely high levels of tannin to go along with its equally gargantuan proportions of fruit. It is a fabulous Latour that should age effortlessly for 40-50 years.” 96/100 Robert Parker
“This is more open-knit on the nose compared to the 1996. Red fruits rather than black, touches of thyme and bacon fat, then smoke and embers. The palate is fleshy on the entry with grainy tannins, moderate weight though without the backbone and ambition of the following vintage. What is lacks in power, in makes up with elegance, very fine tannins towards the finish, but rather overawed by thte ’96. Drink now-2020. Tasted June 2009.”92/100 Neal Martin
“Deep ruby-red color. More expressive aromas of crystallized dark berries, dark chocolate and animal fur. Lush and sweet; thick but delineated. Wonderfully concentrated. This, too, seems rather withdrawn today, but the strength of material is clear to see. Finishes with firm tannins and explosive fruit that goes on and on.”94+/100 Stephen Tanzer
Les Forts de Latour 2005
“The 2005 Forts de Latour (10,000 cases produced) possesses much of the same character as Latour, but sweeter tannins, more obvious and forward fruit, medium to full body, and a more seductive, plusher style, but not the great stature, richness, and architectural precision of its bigger brother. Nevertheless, it is a gorgeous Pauillac that should drink well for two decades or more. Latour is always the most difficult Medoc first-growth to find, largely because the vineyard and production are much smaller than its’ peers and because of the severe selection routinely done by owner Francois Pinault and administrator Frederic Engerer.” 92/100 Robert Parker
“A deep garnet colour. The nose has tightened up a little since I last tasted it in January. But it retains that exquisite, complex bouquet of blackberry, bilberry, damson, cedar and here, just a hint of sandalwood. It opens up further after ten minutes, gaining intensity and vigour and yet still holding something back. Medium-bodied, superbly balanced with fine but firm tannins. Very pure. Blackberry, bilberry, a touch of hoi sin…yes, something slightly Oriental evolving here, an element that lends it another dimension. Wonderful. Drink 2012-2030. Tasted June 2009.” 94/100 Neal Martin
“Good red-ruby. Exotic aromas of roasted plum, currant and graphite. Big, round and sweet but with the broad shoulders of the year. The silky flavors of currant, tobacco and sweet oak show extraordinary baby fat and volume. Wonderfully rich, expressive wine with a very long, silky, aromatic back end. Latour recently purchased 12 hectares of cabernet vines between 30 and 40 years of age, and much of this parcel went into Les Forts de Latour in 2005.” 92/100 Stephen Tanzer