Bordeaux Blend, Pauillac de Château Latour
The 2016 Pauillac de Château Latour, which comes from parcels known as ‘Saint Anne’ in the southwest sector of the appellation augmented by young vines from Enclos, is a compelling, sumptuous wine that shows just how magnificent the year is. Composed of 54.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.9% Merlot, and 6.5% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Le Pauillac de Chateau Latour is deep garnet in color. It skips out of the glass with exuberant notions of chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries, and sassafras, leading to suggestions of tilled soil, fallen leaves, and charcoal. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and still tightly wound, offering bright, crunchy black and red fruits with loads of savory sparks and an approachable, grainy texture, finishing with great persistence.
Pauillac is probably the most famous village in Bordeaux. Located between St. Julien and St. Estephe, it has more of the top ranked chateau than the other four appellations of the Haut Médoc. This area has three of the five premier cru classe wineries: Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild. There are two of the top second-growths [Pichon Lalande and Pichon Baron] as well as several outstanding fourth and fifth-growth chateaux including Lynch Bages. Because of the gravely soils and great drainage, Pauillac has the ideal conditions to grow great Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines from this village are some of the longest-lived in Bordeaux.