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2018 VINTAGE: ENCHANTING!
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Despite erratic weather conditions, this 2018 vintage gives us an enchanting wine. 2018 was a year marked by a spell of frost in April, reminiscent of the frost experienced in 2017 and followed in quick succession by an episode of hail on the 26th of May. The year was also marked by heavy downpours in Spring (113mm in the month of March alone!) and by a particularly hot and dry summer. Despite the attack of mildew at the beginning of the summer in certain parcels of red vines, the sunny period from July through to the beginning of October (with record temperatures in July and September) trully saved the vintage and guaranteed a good ripening of the grapes.
The harvest took place in good conditions, but required a lot of attention at both stages of picking and sorting, those red wine parcels affected by mildew. The meticulousness of our vineyard pickers, plus the effectiveness of our talented cellar team and our technical ability helped maintain healthy and ripe grapes.
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According to Valérie Vialard, the œnologist of Château Latour-Martillac, the white 2018 is caracterized by an « aromatic and complex freshness; notes of citrus, yellow fruits and hazelnut, delivering a delightfully, well-balanced, rounded and fresh palate ». The red has « distinctive ripe red fruits on the nose (cherry, blackcurrant), licorice and peony. The palate is well-balanced, generous, round and fleshy, with well-structured, powerful tannins. A long and aromatic finish.»
WHAT DO JOURNALISTS THINK OF OUR 2018 VINTAGE ?
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CHÂTEAU LATOUR-MARTILLAC RED 2018
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Wine Spectator, James Molesworth – 92-95 pts (2019/04)
« Dark plum and boysenberry compote notes are fleshy in feel, infused with dark tea, ganache and licorice accents. There’s a smoldering hint through the finish. Intriguing. »
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James Suckling – 93-94 pts (2019/04)
« The blackberry and wet-earth character with some bark undertones, comes through clearly here. Medium -to-full-bodied. Savory finish. »
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Decanter, Jane Anson – 94 pts (2019/04)
« This takes its time to open, eventually revealing blackberry and black cherry fruits, layered with liquorice and chocolate, followed by some touches of bitterness on the finish. »
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Wine Enthusiast, Roger Voss – 92-94 pts (2019/04)
« Barrel Sample. Firm and spicy, this wine has a dense structure that will lend to good development. It shows a concentrated black-fruit flavor and intense acidity. Expect this wine to have some good medium-term aging. »
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Jancis Robinson – 17/20 (2019/04)
« 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 40% new oak. Barrel sample. Black core. Lovely fragrance of fresh dark fruit and something like lavender. Dark-fruited but still pretty. Elegant, scented with complex range of aromas that are dark fruit, crushed rocks, and hint of something floral. Poised and fresh. (JH) 14,4% Drink 2023-2033. »
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The Wine Advocate – 93-95 pts (2019/04)
« Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Latour Martillac bursts from the glass with bold cassis, chocolate-covered cherries and plum preserves scents followed up by smoked meats, violets and aniseed hints plus a waft of Provence herbs. Full-bodied, firm and fine-grained in the mouth, the palate is laden with juicy fruit and savory layers, finishing long and fragrant. »
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Vinous, Antonio Galloni – 91-94 pts (2019/05)
« The 2018 Latour-Martillac is powerful, dense and explosive, with tremendous richness and energy that drive through to the palate staining finish. Abnormally low yields produced an unusually sumptuous, rich Latour-Martillac. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, gravel and incense build as this arrestingly beautiful wine shows off its racy, curvy personality. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times. »
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Jeff Leve – 92-94 pts (2019/04)
« Boysenberry, licorice, smoke, black cherry and floral essences open the wine. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied, fresh, bright, sweet and lively, allowing the red fruits and silky tannins to come through easily. Give this a least seven years or so of aging and enjoy it over the following two decades. The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. The harvest took place from September 17-October 10. »
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Vinum – 17/20 (2019/06)
« Von besonderer Klasse, vollmundig, feurig, aber knackiges, saftiges Tannin und ungemein frisches, fruchtiges Finale. Superb. 2026-2040. »
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Wine Doctor, Chris Kissack – 92-94 pts (2019/04)
« A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. The yields were 50 hl/ha in red, and the alcohol here is 14.7%. This has very bright black cherry fruit on the nose, with a fine sense of freshness too. The palate shows a very sinewy substance, cool and tightly restrained, but with an admirable poise through the middle of the palate. It feels full and broad, with tightly grained velvety tannins, peppery and energetic through to the finish. It has cherry stone, minerally and toasted notes, which all sit well within the sinewy, reserved and fresh substance of the wine. Lots of grippy tannin at the finish, but the overall style is refined. This has very good potential indeed. The élevage will be in 40% new oak. Tasted twice. »
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Markus del Monego – 93 pts (2019/04)
« Dark purple red with violet hue and black core. Aromatic nose reminiscent of elderberries, mulberries, blackcurrants and mild spices. On the palate very elegant, medium bodied with excellent lenght, ripe and balanced tannins. »
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Schweizerische Weinzeitung – 17/20 (2019/05)
« Elegantes Bouquet, Himbeeren, Kirsch, Kräuter. Gute Dichte, saftig, zart adstringierend, feine Saure, Zwetschgen, Brombeeren, gute Länge. 2025-2038. »
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CHÂTEAU LATOUR-MARTILLAC WHITE 2018
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Wine Spectator, James Molesworth – 91-94 pts (2019/04)
« Peach, clementine, heather and almond notes are melding here, with a light zingy aspect giving the finish enough cut and drive. »
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James Suckling – 93-94 pts (2019/04)
« This is an intense, mineral and acidity-driven white, showing dried fruit, such as lemon and pineapple. Medium to full body. Bright finish.»
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Decanter, Jane Anson – 92 pts (2019/04)
« Ripe stone fruit flavours show the warmth of the summer but there’s a lovely sense of restraint and freshness in this good quality wine. It has a touch of bitterness, which gives focus to the finish. Successful in both colours in 2018. »
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Wine Enthusiast, Roger Voss – 93-95 pts (2019/04)
« Barrel Sample. This wine is all about the lemon and apple fruit, with fresh acidity to maintain balance. That is not to say it does not also have texture, structure and a taut edge, all set for aging. »
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Jancis Robinson – 16/20 (2019/04)
« Slightly cloudy. Lots of pure lemon and grapefruit on the nose, a touch of spice. Very spicy on the palate too but there’s the fruit to fill out the middle. A bit sweet and sour but should come round. Certainly, plenty of fruit even if the acidity is slightly aggressive. »
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The Wine Advocate – 91-93 pts (2019/04)
« The Latour Martillac 2018 Blanc have an expressive nose of fresh grapefruit, white peaches and lemon juice with a hints of lime leaves and chalk dust. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers great intensity with loads of minerally sparks and a long zesty finish. »
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Vinous, Antonio Galloni – 88-91 pts (2019/05)
« A powerful, structured white, the 2018 Latour-Martillac Blanc has real feeling of density to it. Citrus, white flowers and mint all take shape in the glass, but it is the wine’s textural resonance that stands out most? Some rough edges remain, but hopefully élevage will take care of them. More than anything else, it appears these old vines on clay handled the rigors of the growing season pretty well. The blend is 54% Sauvingon Blanc and 46% Sémillon. »
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Jeff Leve – 91 pts (2019/04)
« Citrus, flowers and background note of pineapple show up on the nose. On the palate, this is bright, crisp, forward and juicy. The wine was made blending 54% Sauvignon Blanc and 46% Semillon. »
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Vinum – 17/20 (2019/06)
« Ungemein vollmundig, wuchtig, doch auch mit Rasse und Saftigkeit, Noten von reifen Grapefruit im Finale. 2024-2032. »
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Wine Doctor, Chris Kissack – 89-91 pts (2019/04)
« This is a blend of 54% Sauvignon Blanc and 46% Semillon, picked at a yield of 50 hl/ha. The alcohol is 13.7%. This kicks off with a pure nose of white peach, smoky and lightly salty, with a little subtle matchstick reduction to the frame, and a lovely mineral confidence. A good substance on the palate, fresh, with plenty of nicely defined citrus and orchard fruits, with just a touch of grilled caramelisation to the latter, and plenty of pithy phenolic backbone too. Broad, full, grippy, but showing a softer structure than I would really have liked to find, because while the fruit profile is gorgeous it simply lacks acidity. The élevage will be in 25% new oak. Tasted twice. »
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Markus del Monego – 93 pts (2019/04)
« Bright yellow colour with green hue. Expressive nose with lemon zest, hints of grapefruit and candied pineapple in addition hints of white blossoms and Buxus. On the palate well structure, full-bodied with fine acidity, distreet hints of vanilla in the background, succulent fruit and convincing length. »
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Schweizerische Weinzeitung – 17/20 (2019/05)
« Feines Bouquet, Toast, weisse Blüten, zart Vanille. Gute Dichte, saftig, feine Säure, cremige Textur, elegante weisse Frucht, Birne im Finish, gute Länge. 2022-2033. »
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CHÂTEAU LATOUR-MARTILLAC ROUGE 2018
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Bettane & Desseauve – 17/20 (2019/05)
« Nez d’un extrême raffinement, un condensé d’arômes fruités et floraux, bouche très harmonieuse, avec une trame profonde, serrée, une pointe d’amertume et de fermeté qui devraient disparaitre au fil de l’élevage. 2021-2034 »
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Le Point, Jacques Dupont – 16,5-17/20 (2019/04)
« Fruits rouges, réglisse, végétal frais, tanins fins, veloutés, juteux, sapide, dense, tendu. Ouverture : 2028 / Garde : 20 ans »
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RVF – 16,5-17,5 (2019/04)
« Un 2018 qui conserve une jolie élégance. Intense, mais sans lourdeur, avec une belle conservation de la fraîcheur du fruit et de beaux tanins. »
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Jean-Marc Quarin – 15,5/20 (2019/03)
« Couleur sombre. Bonne intensité. Nez net, d’intensité moyenne, fruité, fumé, crémeux. Bouche moelleuse au départ, se développant sur des tanins marqués, mais heureusement avec du goût dans la persistance. 2026-2032 »
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Terre de Vins – 91-92pts (2019/04)
« Fumé, légèrement boisé, le nez reste assez réduit et n’exprime pas tout son potentiel. En bouche, le boisé sort un peu, serre l’ensemble et vient durcir des tanins déjà structurants. C’est dommage, le potentiel apparaît pourtant. »
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Yves Beck – 91-93 pts (2019/04)
« Pourpre violacée. Bouquet filigrane, élégant, aux notes fruitées avec des effluves de myrtilles ainsi qu’une agréable touche de menthe. Attaque friande, fruitée et rafraîchissante. Le vin est doté de tannins aux grains fins, bien intégrés et en symbiose avec la structure. Finale fruitée et juteuse, bien soutenue par l’acidité. Bravo. 2023-2038. »
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CHÂTEAU LATOUR-MARTILLAC BLANC 2018
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Bettane & Desseauve – 17/20 (2019/05)
« Nez épanoui, fruit exotique délicat, fleurs suaves, notes épicées, bouche ample, fruitée et d’une grande vivacité, avec une touche d’amertume qui lui va parfaitement. 2021- 2034 »
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Le Point, Jacques Dupont – 15/20 (2019/04)
« Bien expressif, savoureux, fruits blancs, gras, salin, pas exubérant, finale longue, relevée. Ouverture : 2021 / Garde : 10 ans »
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RVF 16,5-17,5/20 (2019/04)
« Une très belle surprise pour le millésime. Le vin est énergique, tendu, défini, avec beaucoup de goût et d’allonge. »
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Jean Marc Quarin – 15,75/20 (2019/03)
« Couleur pâle. Nez net, d’intensité moyenne, fin, fruité, pur, crémeux, fumé. Caressant à l’attaque, moelleux au développement, parfumé, sur un goût de fruits très mûrs, le vin évolue agréablement en finale sur une longueur moyenne. 2021-2027 »
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Terre de Vin – 91-92pts (2019/04)
« Boisé, assez réduit lors de la dégustation, le nez est dominé par le bois sans que cela ne soit rédhibitoire. De la chair, de beaux acides et une tension d’ensemble élégante. Vif et gourmand. »
