Vinous – 95

Good full medium red; showing less sign of development than the ’07. Deeply pitched aromas and flavors of red berries, iron, spices and tobacco remind me a bit of the 2015 Clos des Cortons. Massive but still-brooding wine with terrific breadth and depth; much harder to taste today than the ’07 owing to its higher acidity, lower pH and huge, building, tongue- and tooth-saturating tannins (the IPT here was very high 85, according to Jerome Flous; in comparison, the index of total polyphenols in 2005 was 70 for Chateau Latour and 72 for Leoville-Las Cases). This voluminous wine shows stronger graphite minerality as it sits in the glass but still needs at least a few years in bottle to fully harmonize. It should be perfect with fatty meats and cream sauces owing to its surprisingly sound acidity. (13.6% alcohol; 3.45 pH; 3.8 g/l acidity; 35 h/h) [Stephen Tanzer, 21/03/2019]

Anticipated maturity: 2024-2044