2006 Chateau Latour Premier Grand Cru Classé Grand Vin

The Pauillac Premier Grand Cru Classé Grand Vin de Château Latour is one of the most revered wines in the world - a timeless symbol of power, precision, and purity.

Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it is sourced exclusively from the estate's most prestigious vineyard, L'Enclos, overlooking the Gironde estuary.

Aged in new French oak barrels, it combines density and minerality with extraordinary balance. Profoundly structured and endlessly refined, Château Latour is the embodiment of Pauillac's strength and grace, built to evolve over decades.

Monumental yet perfectly balanced, with dense fruit, firm but velvety tannins, and mineral precision. Flavors of cassis, licorice, and dark chocolate unfold into a long, seamless finish of remarkable purity and power. A wine of extraordinary longevity and finesse.

As to the Grand Vin, the 2006 Latour showed beautifully. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance mostly Merlot, with a splash of Cabernet Franc, it offers a deep ruby/purple color to go with straight up classic Latour graphite, lead pencil and minerality all balanced by terrific cassis and blackcurrant fruit. With medium to full-bodied richness, present, yet silky tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish, it’s terrific today and I suspect on the early edge of a long drinking plateau. - 96 ponts, Jeb Dunnick 

The 2006 Latour is composed of 91.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it charges out of the gate with impressively energetic crème de cassis, cured meats, wood smoke and black forest cake notions plus hints of licorice, sandalwood and iron ore, not to mention a fragrant waft of dried roses that emerges with coaxing. Medium to full-bodied, suitably rich, expressive and accented by sparks of exotic spices, it has a frame of now velvety tannins contributing just a bit of chew to the long, perfumed finish. Drinking beautifully now, it should cellar gracefully over the next 20+ years. - 95 points, Robert Parker