Château Latour 2003 is the estate’s Grand Vin from Pauillac, drawn from the famed Enclos and shaped by one of Bordeaux’s hottest, earliest growing seasons. The final blend is reported as 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, with Merlot picked September 8–13 and Cabernet Sauvignon September 22–30, according to Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate). Alcohol is cited at 13.3%. Production was relatively modest for Latour: Wine Spectator notes “10000 cases made,” while other sources cite 10,800 cases.
Critical reception is emphatically strong, with several standout, top-tier reviews. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate awarded 100 points, with Perrotti-Brown writing that it “explodes from the glass with bombastic black and blue fruits,” plus “meat, wood smoke, sandalwood and Indian spice,” and calling the palate “full, rich, velvety, seductive and very long on the finish.” The Wine Independent also awarded 100 points, describing scents of “crème de cassis, stewed plums, licorice, and mocha,” and praising “surprising elegance and jaw-dropping poise… finishing with incredible length and grace,” calling it “a real paradox… and a testament to the Enclos’ singular terroir.”
Just behind those perfect scores, James Suckling rated it 99, highlighting a “fascinating nose of fresh flowers, currants, and sandalwood” and “polished tannins,” adding that it has “so much class and finesse for such a hot vintage.” Jeff Leve (TheWineCellarInsider) also scored 99, noting “truffle, smoke, cigar box, cassis, cedar wood and wet earth,” with a “plush, round and mouth filling” texture.
Wine Spectator’s 98 focuses on precision and persistence: “very refined and beautiful… Goes on for minutes,” and even suggests it recalls 1996 “but even better,” recommending it “Best after 2012.” Wine Enthusiast, at 96–98, frames the wine’s success in Latour terms: “a sense of completeness” and “restrained power,” concluding, “That’s why Latour 2003 is a great wine.”
