Château Latour-Martillac 2021

Tobacco and roasted notes, dark and red berries. Firm attack, slender, fresh, no over‑extraction, fine tannins, pronounced acidity, good drive and a Burgundian, red‑fruited finish. Should be enjoyable early.

The 2021 Latour Martillac was matured for 14 months in barrels and three months in tanks before bottling. It evokes a classic, elegant bouquet with aromas of spices, plum, cassis and raspberry, followed by a medium-bodied, juicy and round palate with a nicely tense mid-palate and structuring tannins, concluding with an ethereal, long finish.

Open-knit, with damson plum and black cherry notes, spiked with a bright savory edge and backed by a touch of warm earth on the finish, which shows minimal grain and a pretty smoldering hint. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028. 10,000 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.

Fragranced and pretty on the nose. Juicy and nicely plump, with a touch of tangy, salty texture. Good energy and a sense of life here, clean and precise, very drinkable and appealing to enjoy now. Lovely finesse and a gentle sense of calm with a sleek presentation. Everything is in balance and long. Red berries, some dried herbs, vanilla, clove, tobacco and cola. Cool and fresh.

The 2021 Latour-Martillac is very understated on the nose and demands coaxing from the glass, revealing blackberry, forest floor, pencil box and hints of black olive. It is nicely composed with judicious use of new oak. The palate is medium-bodied, well-defined, taut and crisp. It has fine sapidity on the finish, though it just lacks sustain on the aftertaste. Drink it over the next 12 to 15 years.

Elegant, fresh, refined, spicy, sweet and vibrant, the wine focuses on its lift, energy and soft-textured fruits. There is a hint of salt and a sprig of mint that comes in at the end of the finish, adding complexity and character. Showing better from the bottle than it did in the barrel, this will drink well just about on release. Drink from 2025-2040.

Intense ruby-garnet colour with purple reflections, delicate brightening at the rim. Somewhat restrained, notes of dark berries, a touch of liquorice, cherry compote, a hint of nougat. Medium-bodied, with red berries and lean, delicate acidity, a touch of currants on the finish, mineral, some nougat on the finish, already approachable.

The 2021 Château Latour-Martillac is a solid success in the vintage and is based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot that spent 16 months in French oak. Revealing medium-bodied richness and depth as well as good concentration, it has perfumed red, blue, and black fruits, some classic scorched earth, tobacco, and cedar pencil aromatics, ripe yet building tannins, and outstanding length. It’s clearly an outstanding wine that I suspect will shine for at least 10-15 years.

Delicately woven bouquet of red cherry, freshly ground black pepper, lilac and lingonberry purée. On the generous palate, a supple texture, fine slightly austere extract, supportive tension, tightly knit, with a very straight, focused body. In the concentrated finish, the Pessac-Léognan narrows, showing red-berry contours, delicate firm notes in the background paired with bright minerality, rounding out harmoniously.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 38 hl/ha, 13.5% alc./vol., production 100,000 bottles) Fresh, silky bouquet, cherries, blackcurrant, lavender, tobacco, mocha. Elegant, silky, fresh palate with powerful, sweet aromatics, fine structure, pronounced aromatics, fine tannins, long, spicy finish.

(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 38 hl/ha, 13.5% vol. alcohol, production 100,000 bottles) Fresh, silky bouquet, cherries, blackcurrant, lavender, tobacco, mocha. Elegant, silky, fresh palate with powerful, sweet aromatics, fine structure, fine tannins, long, spicy finish. 17/20 2028 - 2045

Velvety tannins and attractive, savoury, well-balanced black fruits, delicate and finessed, with enjoyable blueberry and black cherry fruit. 40% new oak, harvest from September 24 to October 13, yield of 38 hl/ha. Tasted twice, single-point upscore.

The 2021 Latour-Martillac is deep garnet-purple in color. It pops from the glass with scents of black cherries, mulberries, and plums, leading to hints of wild thyme and lavender. The soft, medium-bodied palate is lively and pure, with a zippy finish.

A calm, composed nose of ripe, peppery red fruits. On the palate, the wine is enveloping and rich, with aromas reminiscent of perfectly ripe red fruits and rosehip. The finish, deliciously creamy, unfolds over slightly grainy “kitten-tongue” tannins.

Delicate and subtle, Latour-Martillac stands out for its elegance, both on the nose and on the palate. It features fine-grained tannins that emerge from the mid-palate and provide valuable support to the finish. The latter is persistent and clearly reflects the black-berry nuances perceived on the nose. A fine success.

Dark, vivid, and intense color. Very aromatic nose, with ripe and fresh fruit. Precise on the attack, highly aromatic mid-palate; the wine melts on the palate—velvety, juicy, flavorful, and very pleasant—with a fine glycerol feel on the finish and no angular tannins. Good length. Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 13.5% – pH: 3.74 – IPT: 80. Yield: 38 hl/ha.

Always charming, this 2021 vintage shows great freshness and intensity. We rediscover a crunchy, rounded texture, with fresh raspberry notes. The tannins are of excellent quality, remaining supple and already well integrated.

This estate, on the edge of the village of Martillac, has produced a fine, structured wine. The wood aging has lent its polish, giving the wine richness alongside the acidity as well as good potential. Drink from 2027.