2015 Chateau Latour Pauillac Premier Grand Cru Classé

The 2015 Château Latour Pauillac Premier Grand Cru Classé is a benchmark Left Bank classic from one of Bordeaux’s most revered estates. Released directly from Château Latour’s own cellars only when deemed ready, this wine combines the power of a great Pauillac with the precision and polish that define the modern era at the estate. In 2015, Latour captured the best of a warm, sunny year while preserving remarkable freshness and structure, echoing the longevity and poise of cooler-vintage icons such as 1996, yet with greater ripeness and selection.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2015 Latour is a dense, dark ruby to garnet, almost opaque at the core, with a youthful rim that hints at its long life ahead. The nose is immediately refined and pure: layered aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry, graphite, cigar box, violets, and cedar unfold slowly, backed by notes of pencil shavings, crushed stone, and a discreet hint of cocoa and tobacco. On the palate, the wine is both powerful and remarkably poised. The high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (97.1%) gives a firm, aristocratic backbone, with perfectly ripe blackcurrant fruit, cassis, and black cherry framed by silky, ultra-fine tannins. There is a clear Pauillac signature of graphite, lead pencil, and subtle tobacco leaf, supported by sweet spices from élevage and a cool, mineral line that carries through to the finish. The mouthfeel is generous yet precise, with a velvety texture and an energetic core that drives an extraordinarily long, focused finish. This is still very much at the beginning of its drinking window and has the structure to evolve gracefully for decades; expect it to develop greater complexity, with more truffle, leather, and cigar-box nuances over the next 20–30 years and beyond.

Production
Château Latour’s grand vin comes primarily from the famed Enclos, the walled heart of the estate in Pauillac, where deep gravel soils over clay provide exemplary drainage and encourage the Cabernet Sauvignon to root deeply. The 2015 growing season was marked by a late budbreak for Cabernet Sauvignon on 12 April, followed by very mild spring weather that ensured an even flowering by 3 June. A summer of extremes—unusually hot and dry spells in June and July, then wetter conditions in August and September—demanded meticulous vineyard work, especially as early September rains increased disease pressure. The team’s rigorous canopy management, selection and vigilance against botrytis allowed them to bring in exceptionally healthy, concentrated fruit. Harvest began with Merlot parcels on 15 September and concluded with the final Cabernet Sauvignon on 10 October. The blend is 97.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.6% Merlot and 0.3% Petit Verdot, vinified parcel by parcel in temperature-controlled vats, then aged in high-quality French oak barrels (a significant proportion new) in the château’s cellars. As with all Latour releases today, the wine was held back at the estate until the château considered it ready to offer, ensuring optimal provenance and development.

Food & Serving
This 2015 Château Latour is a natural partner for refined, flavourful dishes built around top-quality meat and game. Classic pairings include roast lamb with rosemary and garlic, dry-aged ribeye or côte de boeuf, venison with a red wine and berry reduction, or slow-braised beef cheeks. It also shines alongside dishes with earthy tones—truffle-infused sauces, wild mushrooms, and dishes based on celeriac or parsnip—while aged hard cheeses such as Comté, aged Gouda, or mature Cheddar will underscore its complexity. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) in large Bordeaux stems. In its youth and early maturity, decanting for 2–3 hours helps the wine unfurl its aromatics and soften the structure; as it gains bottle age, a gentler 1-hour decant is sufficient, primarily to remove any sediment and allow the bouquet to blossom.

Producer
Château Latour is one of Bordeaux’s most illustrious First Growths, crowned Premier Grand Cru Classé in the historic 1855 classification and widely regarded as one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon estates in the world. Located in the southern part of Pauillac, near the Gironde estuary, Latour’s history stretches back to at least the 14th century, with its reputation for powerful, long-lived wines firmly established by the 18th and 19th centuries. In modern times, the estate has become a reference point for meticulous vineyard management, strict fruit selection, and precision winemaking, consistently producing wines that rank among the most enduring and collectible in Bordeaux. By stepping away from Bordeaux’s traditional en primeur system and choosing to release its grand vin only when the château deems it ready, Latour has further underlined its commitment to quality, provenance, and the long-term potential that has made its wines legendary.

We deliver within 2 - 6 business days. You can choose whether it should be to a parcel shop or home delivery. Free delivery to both parcel shops and your front door. Our store partners primarily use GLS, DPD, UPS and DHL for deliveries. We cover deliveries to the majority of countries in Europe.