2012 Château Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Dark blackish crimson. Luscious-looking colour. Profound, complex with lots of depth. Really complete and spicy with a dry, very Latour, mineral nose. Not the most concentrated Latour but with great character and Latour expression. Very muscular and not nearly ready.Drink 2030 - 2050jancis_robinson_mw MW, JancisRobinson.com (February 2020)

The 2012 Latour has a potent bouquet of blackberry, graphite and distinctive tertiary notes [instead of more marine scents observed four years earlier]. Initially, the palate is slightly disjointed on the entry and displays a subtle herbal quality, plus hints of pencil shavings. The 2012 demands a few minutes to really coalesce and achieve the precision and pixelation that have been the hallmark of this Grand Vin in its youth.Layers of black fruit coat the mouth, and a bitter edge lends tension, particularly toward the very persistent finish. Though its release implies, and the rhetoric from the château indicates, that it is ready to drink, if you want my advice, cellar the 2012 for another five or six years to witness it in full flight. It has always been a candidate for wine of the vintage... just have a bit of patience.Drink 2027 - 2055Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (April 2020)

Looks a little less blue than Les Forts. Scented and lovely on the nose. Playing the playful card. Dense and rich. Vibrant. Not made to show well at this stage – which may be a good thing. A little tiny bit of green but very fine and confident. Just rather hidden and restrained. Not the butch style of some years. A little short. jancis_robinson_mw MW, JancisRobinson.com, 24 Apr 2013

Black-red in colour, pure fragrance and sophistication, depth and structure, very exciting quality in this vintage.

Reminiscent of the 2008, the 2012 is a classic Latour, but is neither profoundly concentrated nor potentially one of the greatest efforts from this exceptional terroir. While noble, racy, stylish and medium-bodied, the normal power and density one expects of Latour is missing in this vintage. It is made in a more elegant, softer, lighter style, undoubtedly a smart decision since pushing extraction with potentially less than ideal grapes could have resulted in rustic aromas and flavors. This medium-bodied Latour reveals moderate tannin, but it should be drinkable when released, and last for nearly two decades.Chateau Latour harvested its Merlot between September 24 and October 4, and most of the crop ended up in Les Forts de Latour and Pauillac. The Cabernet Sauvignon was picked between October 5 and 16, the Cabernet Franc on October 8 (obviously a wet harvest), and the Petit Verdot on October 12. The 2012 Latour, which is off the market as a wine future until the Pinault family and Frederic Engerer agree on when to release it (probably 7-8 years from now), is a blend of 90.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.6% Merlot and the rest a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot. Only 36% of the crop was utilized in the grand vin, which achieved 12.8% natural alcohol.Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (April 2013)

Tight and sleek, with a coiled core of cherry, Campari and red licorice. Features hints of brisk iron and savory through the finish, displaying a clear, coordinated structure. Should settle in with time, but this is likely to be a very linear, slightly rigid Latour all along. Will lengthen and expand, but the lines will persist rather than be absorbed as in '09 or '10.james_molesworth, Wine Spectator (April 2013)

This will be by far the biggest release since Latour brought in the new system, as the 2012 has not been on the market before. It's a good one to start with as this is a vintage where the drinking window is starting to come into view. This is pure liquorice, graphite and profoundly dark fruits, gourmet brushed damson and crushed stones, with a silky, appealingly open texture. The tannins are as bracing as you hope for from this estate, not giving an inch yet, but there is air between them and the structure is starting to loosen up. Harvest from September 24 to October 16, under rainy conditions after a super hot summer and early September that ensured the grapes stayed in good condition, but turned the concentration from impenetrable to an altogether more approachable style.Drink 2022 - 2050jane_anson_mw, Decanter.com (February 2020)