- Latour 2014 has been released at £4,950 per 12×75.
- ‘Do not under-estimate this Latour,’ says Neal Martin.
- Forts de Latour 2016 and Pauillac de Latour 2017 were also released today.
Château Latour has released its 2022 portfolio of wines including the 2014 Grand Vin, 2016 Forts de Latour and 2017 Pauillac de Latour.
The 2014 Grand Vin
Latour 2014 was released at €430 per bottle ex- négociant, up 17.8% on the 2013 release last spring (€365). The wine is being offered in the UK at £4,950 per 12×75, up 14.4% on the 2013’s current Market Price (£4,328).
Uniform critical opinion
The wine boasts 95-points from Neal Martin (Vinous) who advised buyers to not ‘under-estimate this Latour whenever it is released’. The critic had previously given it 96-points when writing for The Wine Advocate in 2017 and described it as a ‘quintessential Latour…aristocratic and noble’.
Meanwhile, Antonio Galloni (Vinous, 96-points) commented: ‘It’s a decidedly understated Latour that is more about finesse than brawn’.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (The Wine Independent) also rated it 96-points, noting it was as ‘deliciously drinkable as it is cerebral’.
James Suckling gave an even higher 99-point score, complimenting the ‘incredible, fine-grained tannins and energy’.
Where to find value in back-vintages
As explored in an article last week, based on Neal Martin’s scores, an opening price of £4,200 per 12×75 would look well-judged. The current price level thus positions the 2014 slightly above the line implied by Liv-ex’s ‘Fair Value’ methodology. However, early reports suggest that the wine is selling well.
As an alternative, buyers might wish to consider the 2012, which has a current Market Price of £4,600 and similar scores. 2004, 2008 and 2011 also look attractive and are available below today’s release price.
The 96-point 2001 might also interest buyers looking for a more mature bottle. The wine is currently offered on Liv-ex at £2,765 per 6×75.
Other releases
The second wine of the Château, the 2016 Forts de Latour, has been released at €175 per bottle ex-négociant, up 9.4% on the 2015. The wine is being offered at £1,960 per 12×75. Neal Martin awarded it 96-points, saying it offers ‘a pure, seductive bouquet of gorgeous, graphite-tinged black fruit, focused and full of tension’.
The 2017 Pauillac de Latour was also released today and is being offered at £540 per 12×75.
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 560+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £100m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines. Independent data, direct from the market.
