Chateau Latour Martillac Rouge AC Pessac Leognan 2019

JD 96 / JS 95 / VM 93 / WE 93 pts

JD: I loved the 2019 Château Latour-Martillac, and I under-rated it from barrel. Revealing a dense ruby/plum color as well as a gorgeous bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherry, smoked tobacco, gravely earth, and chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, supple tannins, and one heck of a finish. It’s beautifully done and will cruise for 25+ years in cold cellars. It needs plenty of air if drinking any time soon.

JS: Sweet berry, spice, tobacco and dried rose-petal aromas. Full-bodied with beautifully integrated tannins and a creamy, polished texture. Refined and complex. One of the best young bottles ever from here. Better after 2025.

VM: The 2019 Latour-Martillac was a little perplexing from the barrel samples that I received a few months back. Now in bottle, here is the Pessac-Léognan I know, with ample blackberry, cedar, black olive and light marine scents on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite fleshy but still nicely structured, and showing fine backbone on the sappy, white-pepper- and sage-tinged finish. Now this is promising.

WE: Owned by the Kressmann family, a long-established Bordeaux negociant, this wine has ripe black fruits and dusty tannins. Both rich and structured, this wine needs aging and will be ready from 2026.