Chateau Latour, one of Bordeaux’s oldest and most famous wine producers, is a First Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. It’s located in Pauillac near the border with Saint-Julien.

Vines have existed on the property since the 14th century, but Chateau Latour first began producing wines of great quality in the early eighteenth century. The estate gradually came to specialize in wine production, with 38 hectares of vines in 1759 and 47 hectares in 1794.

The vineyard currently has 78 hectares in production. The grapes from the 47 hectares surrounding the chateau, known as “L’Enclos”, are used in the production of the Grand Vin. The 30 hectares outside of the Enclos are used for the Forts de Latour and the Pauillac wines. The estate is planted with about 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot on gravelly hilltops and clay subsoil.

The wines of Chateau Latour need time to mature, generally at least ten or fifteen years, before they can be drunk. It is only then that the full complexity of the bouquet is expressed and the palate becomes sufficiently well integrated to be enjoyable and harmonious.

![2017 Chateau Latour [Bordeaux Blend] 750](https://www.jjbuckley.com/permalink/bottle/image/2017-186-750)

**Wine Name:** 2017 Chateau Latour [Bordeaux Blend] 750

**Varietal:** Bordeaux Blend

**Vintage:** 2017

**Country:** France

**Region:** Bordeaux

**Sub-region:** Pauillac

**Producer:** Chateau Latour

**Color:** Red

The 2017 Chateau Latour is a Bordeaux blend that has garnered impressive reviews across the board. Known for its powerful and concentrated profile, this vintage is composed of 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot, and 0.1% Petit Verdot, aged for 16 months in new barrels.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave the wine a score of 94, highlighting its "expressive aromas of crème de cassis, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, burning embers and creamy new oak," and described it as "rich and layered" with "lively acids and a long, vanillin-inflected finish" (William Kelley, 4/26/2024).

Vinous awarded it a 96, noting that it is "super-expressive and inviting," with "bright saline notes and lifted floral top notes" (Antonio Galloni, 2/1/2024).

Jane Anson, awarding a near-perfect score of 98, described it as "a seriously pretty Latour" with "muscles that have a cushion of air underneath them" and praised its "sculpted character" and "signature pencil lead, crayon, mint leaf and crushed rocks" (Jane Anson, 3/13/2024).

Jeb Dunnuck, also giving it a 96, praised its "ripe, round, beautifully balanced mouthfeel" and noted it "should continue showing well for another 30+ years if well stored" (Jeb Dunnuck, 5/20/2024).

James Suckling offered the highest praise with a score of 99, describing it as "ripe and very powerful" with "lots of very new, flashy wood" and "round and polished tannins" (James Suckling, 1/10/2020).

Wine Enthusiast, scoring it at 96, emphasized the wine's "hugely rich and concentrated" tannins and predicted its fruitiness will "be a powerhouse of richness as they mature" (Roger Voss, 3/1/2020).

Decanter, also giving it a 98, lauded its "succulent and juicy" profile with "a wonderfully silky texture" and "well defined tannins that give energy and frame the wine from start to finish" (1/5/2024).

Wine Spectator praised its "pure, sleek, seamless beauty" with a score of 98, noting a "crystal-clear core of cassis, cherry, and damson plum fruit" (JM, 3/31/2020).

The Wine Independent, scoring it at 98, highlighted its "deep garnet-purple color" and "showy notes of warm cassis, mulberries, and Morello cherries" with "velvety tannins" (Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 3/12/2024).

Overall, the 2017 Chateau Latour is a highly praised wine with a balanced, rich, and layered profile that promises to age gracefully for decades.