Chateau Latour 1978 Pauillac
1/96. Bought in auction Sep-95 for $130 (imported for $140 net).
My first Latour... Tonight for Friday night dinner with friends. Dinner
consisted of Blini & caviar in heavy cream; Shrimp fondue; (both accompanied
by Grivault '92 Meursault - Clos des Perrieres). Fillet steak baked in coarse
salt, wrapped in bacon and mushrooms; Gruyere cheese and pears; Strawberries &
whipped-cream fueilletine; (all accompanied by the Latour).
Unlike last week's '78 Cheval Blanc, a perfect looking bottle. The wine was
decanted and let to breathe for about ten minutes before the first pour.
COLOR: Deep violet-red, some brownish hues towards the rim give a very rich
appearance.
NOSE: Immense! So beautiful and enticing. An unpleasant bottle stench took
five minutes to go away. Then one of the most powerful bouquet I ever
experienced. Deep but restrained fruit engulfed by sweetish oak tones. Supreme
elegance that squeezed exclamation cries from the four of us. The nose stayed
at top gear until the last drops were finished some two hours later. No
'pencil tip', 'cigar box' or 'cedar'. None of the not-so-pleasant aromas I
have become to associate with the nose of an older Bordeaux. Pure enticing and
complex, but most of all - a pleasure to sniff at.
TASTE: At first a let down following the nose. A lightish taste with noted
hollowness on the palate. After about another 30 minutes, the wine came around
to reveal a bold and unique taste. Not much tannins, neither a lot of acidity.
Yet a great wine with layers of flavors far beyond the simple fruit attack.
LENGTH: Moderate length but warm and lingering.
BALANCE & TEXTURE: Medium body, medium structure, yet extraordinary balance! A
riddle: Fruit, tannin, alcohol and acidity, all in restraint. Yet together the
most harmonious wine imaginable.
OVERALL: A superb+ wine. A tad short of perfection. If the taste could just
match the extraordinary nose this wine would be absolutely divine.
MARK: 18+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.
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yak@yakshaya.com
Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.