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Château Latour 1961

Château Latour, Bordeaux, France

Château Latour
Bordeaux France
  • 100
    Points
  • The 9 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 89 Pros of
    89 recommend
    this wine
1302 100
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    7

  • Producer ranking ?

    1

  • Decanting time

    2h

  • When to drink

    now

  • Food Pairing

    enjoy without food

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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Certainly one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted

100 points Robert Parker: "Port-like, with an unctuous texture, and a dark garnet color with considerable amber at the edge, the 1961 Latour possesses a viscosity and thickness... liquid perfection, exhibiting fragrant, cedary, truffle, leather, mineral, and sweet, jammy aromatics, full-bodied, voluptuous textures, exquisite purity and concentration, and a layered, highly-nuanced finish...

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The Story

The chateau makes three different wines. The so-called grand vin, that is Château Latour itself, a second wine called Les Forts de Latour and a third wine simply called Pauillac. The grand vin comes from the original part of the vineyards, called the Enclos. This is the most prestigious part of the vineyard where the vines have a fine view of the Gironde estuary. The tradition in Bordeaux says that vines that overlook the water make the best w...

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Wine Information

Very rainy winter with a very warm February, and growth starting in the first few days - that is to say a month early. The first half of March was very warm and the first leaves were noted on 10 March. Growth accelerated, but there were frosts at the end of March and severe cold on the 25th and the 29th. April was unstable and predominantly cold : growth slowed. Very heavy fruiting was noted. The first flowers appeared on 12 May but the fine w...

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Vintage 1961

1961 - the greatest Bordeaux vintage ever?

I’m writing this during the en primeur campaign and notice that the Bordelais château-owners and négociants have been unusually quiet this year. I have followed this part of the market from a distance for close to 30 years now and have been told about a large number of “vintages of the century”. After the wines have been bottled and sold or the other way round, as the case is in Bordeaux, these cla...

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2022 2020 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2005 2000 1995
5 390€ +3.9% 5 190€ +4.2% 4 980€ +13.5% 4 388€ +8.8% 4 033€ +9.9% 3 670€ +26.8% 2 894€ -17.0% 3 487€ +27.1% 2 743€ +13.3% 2 420€ -36.1% 3 789€ +29.2% 2 932€ +83.4% 1 599€ +60.2% 998€ +76.3% 566€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Mature, Ruby red and Clear

ending

Endless, Extensive, Pure and Alcoholic

flavors

Blackcurrant, Toasty, Smoky, Mineral, Blackberry and Vanilla

nose

Complex, Rich, Ripe and Open

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Warming, Low tannin, Perfectly balanced, Well-structured, Complex, Full-bodied, Sharp, Firm, Rich, Ripe, Dry and Silky tannins

Verdict

Masterpiece and Good everyday wine

Written Notes

The 1961 Latour was an oakier bottle.  It was a lot richer but its flavor profile was a bit reticent and hesitant to show.  There is a lot of bottle variation to this legendary wine, and while this was still an outstanding bottle, it was a bit of an afterthought after that La Mission (96).

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  • 96p
Beautiful ruby moderately intense colour. Very intense, deep, smoky and cedar nose with plenty of ripe black currants, brambles and black olives completed delightfully with hints of violets. Very youthful nose showing only tip of the iceberg at this stage. Full-bodied palate, lively acidity and really masculine ripe tannins that has together with toasty oakiness pronounced mouth-drying effect on long finish. There is still plenty of fresh dark fruits together with pronounced mineral flavours hidden under wine’s masculine structure which suggests this is truly a huge iceberg for a wine that takes still years to open and decades to last. Immense experience, but this bottle had not reached its optimum drinkability yet.
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  • 97p

Château Latour 1961 is another legendary vintage from this esteemed Bordeaux estate, and like the 1945, it is highly regarded as one of the finest wines of the 20th century. 

The wine have evolved to a deep garnet or brick-red color with hints of orange or brown at the rim, reflecting its age.
It offers a complex and intense bouquet. You get aromas of dried fruits (such as blackcurrants and prunes), cedar, tobacco, leather, earthy notes, and subtle hints of spices and herbs. There are also some secondary and tertiary aromas, including truffles, forest floor, and even a touch of smoke.
On the palate, it provides a rich and concentrated experience. Flavors of dried fruits, cedar, tobacco, leather, and earthiness are prominent, with the potential for additional complexity from decades of aging. The tannins have softened significantly, giving the wine a velvety and silky texture. The acidity is still nicely present, contributing to the wine's structure and balance.
The structure of Château Latour 1961 have evolved to a harmonious and well-integrated state. The tannins, acidity, and alcohol are well balanced, resulting in a wine with finesse and elegance.
The finish is super long and lingering, with a complex and evolving aftertaste that showcases the wine's depth and maturity.


As with any aged wine, the quality and condition of a bottle from 1961 can vary depending on its storage history. Proper cellar conditions, including temperature and humidity control, are crucial for preserving the quality of wines over such a long period. Additionally, wines from this era have the potential for remarkable longevity, but they can also reach a point where they are past their prime.

Tasting a Château Latour 1961 is a rare and extraordinary experience, as these wines are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. Such bottles are exceptionally valuable and can be quite limited in availability, so if you have the opportunity to taste one, it should be savored and appreciated for its historical and oenological significance.

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  • 100p

That's not a wine, that's 1961 Latour, which means this is in a class all by itself. The wine is incredibly powerful, dense, and intense. There is so much concentration here, your palate is coated with its layers of rocks, stones, gravel, spice, earth, and chewy, red fruits. There is a refined quality to the waves of black and red currants that you cannot find in other wines. The finish starts strong and amazingly, it builds, expands and adds complexities as it lingers, long after the wine has left the glass. 100 Points

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  • 100p

Latour 1961 was, as expected, a monumental wine. Sixty years old wine and not ready yet. Still young and vigorous. Oceans of fruit and tannin perfectly supported by underlying acidity.  Enormous potential! 99-100p.

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  • 100p

Full red, with a hint of amber; I've had bottles of this that are still ruby. Ineffable aromas of game, smoky oak, herbs and vanilla, with a distinctly wild quality. Extremely powerful and structured, with bracing acidity giving it great grip and buns of steel. Still very tight and young, but less thick than the last bottle I tasted of this wine, which I scored 100 points. Finishes very long and firm. This is one of the Bordeaux monuments of the century, along with wines like the '61 and '47 Latour a Pomerol and the '47 and '21 Cheval Blanc. Drink now to 2030.

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  • 95p

The 1961 Latour is served blind against the Palmer and it comes off second best on this occasion. But that should not take anything away from a quite stupendous Pauillac. Intense black fruit laced with graphite and crushed stone, it is deeply impressive but perhaps lacks a warm personality compared to the Margaux. The palate is medium-bodied with intense black fruit laced with graphite and tobacco, gradually building in the glass towards its structure and persistent finish. Layers of black fruit coat the mouth and there is a slight trace of seaweed, Japanese nori, on the aftertaste. Magnificent. Tasted at the 1961 dinner Chairman Miaow’s in Hong Kong.

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  • 99p

Tastings after running-off suggested a great wine. It was clean-tasting, brightly coloured, very rich, very ripe, very roasted and very full-bodied. Such colours had not been seen for a long time. In the mouth it is phenomenal, full of fruit, structured, incredibly concentrated and perfectly balanced. The tannins are very present, but without being aggressive. Very long finish. It has barely reached its peak and will improve further.

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Château Larour 1961 / 98 points / A great chance to try a legendary wine. This bottle came from Hugh Johnson’s cellar, and it’s the most expensive wine on sampling at £175 a pour. It is still amazingly youthful looking and has a taut, perfumed nose of herbs, blackcurrant and spice. The palate is actually youthful, with spicy mineral notes and good acidity under the blackcurranty fruit. Fine, elegant and structured, this wine has real precision and focus, and isn’t yet fully mature. A remarkable experience: if I’d tasted it blind I would have said with was from the 1980s or 1990s. 98/100

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  • 98p

This is a great bottle of Latour; this vintage, 1961, has a lot of bottle variation. This bottle is one of the best I have tasted with sweet, dried fruits and tobacco and aged cigar notes in the finish. Fruit has richness even after 50 years in bottle

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  • 97p

Amazing deep crimson ? quite staggering depth of colour. This particular bottle seemed even more youthful than either of those I have been lucky enough to taste so far this year. So thick and dense and concentrated, but unctuous too. Bone dry on the finish and more potential than actuality for the moment. I can hardly believe the drinking dates I am suggesting for this wine! Tasted: 20-Oct-2011

 

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  • 96p

A great wine, with a sensual texture, minute-long length with mineral, salty aspects.  Elegant yet powerfol aromas on the nose, remembering of old wood (like in old mahogany furniture). Again perfect balance.

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  • 100p
Very top shoulder fill, excellent cork. Bright deepish ruby, very thin brick rim. Starting out earthy. After thirty minutes whiff of prunes and figs, cassis, pencil shaves, cedar, scented and superb nose. layered and complex. Absolutely gorgeous. Not decanted. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, and the tannins are perfectly integrated in the texture, soon polished off. Layered and mouthwatering, Aged and still youthful, gorgeous length. Best bottle I've had of 64 Latour. Minutes of length. Superb with classic grouse. Starting to dry far out in the finish after two hours if you had to much in the glass. With smaller pours, it held up superbly in the bottle. Drink soon. 96-97
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  • 97p
Medium intense, ruby colour. Ripe black fruit nose, cassis, youthful, smoky and licorice nose with burnt wood. Medium bodied, silky texture, vivid acidity, mineral and spicy and long finish, tight tannic finish. Very aristocratic. Decant for 3 hours. At its peak in 2030.
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  • 98p
between perfection and perfection (out of magnum). fresh, vibrant very paulliac like with some green peppers on the nose but lots of concentration and richness. the perfect combination of freshness and bigness without being heavy , jammy or fat. still too young but always a joy to enjoy
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  • 96p
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Information

Origin

Pauillac, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Extraordinary

Value For Money

Very good

Release state price

3$

Investment potential

Excellent

Fake factory

Serious

Glass time

2h

Drinking temperature

18

Inside Information

Christie’s sale of Rarities from the Cellar of Château Latour achieved a total of HK$59,718,000/US$7,673,763, with 100% sold by lot and value. The auction attracted international interest online, on the telephone and in the saleroom. The strongest bidding was by Asian wine collectors who showed their strong appreciation for Château Latour. In addition to an abiding passion for the most famous Bordeaux vintages, there was also keen competition for the very rare old bottles that set this sale apart.

Mr. David Elswood, International Head of Wine for Christie’s:

“The sale marks a triumphant result for Château Latour in Hong Kong. Vintage 1961 reigned supreme, achieving a new record price of HK$1,800,000 for the 6 magnum lots, while the impériale sold for HK$1,680,000.

With 100% sold and 14 lots selling over HK$1 million, the sale once again demonstrates the tremendous appeal of Château Latour and the strong demand for wines of the highest quality and rarity.”

Mr. Charles Curtis MW, Head of Wine for Christie’s Asia:

“The Château Latour sale was a great success, totalling close to HK$60,000,000/US$7,670,000/GBP4,680,000 with a 100% sell-through rate. It was gratifying to see collectors sitting through an eight-hour long session to bid for the very best vintages, including 1961, 1959 and 1945, leading to over 95% of sold lots selling over the high estimate.

Asian buyers came out particularly strong, dominating our top tens of the sale.  We also saw our highest average lot value to date at HK$152,342/US$19,576/GBP11,928, reflecting a true appreciation of quality and the pursuit of perfection among wine connoisseurs around the world.”

 

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