The 2006 Chateau Latour is a Bordeaux blend from the renowned Pauillac region of Bordeaux, France. This vintage has garnered high praise from various professional reviewers, with scores consistently in the mid-90s.
James Suckling from jamessuckling.com awarded it a 96, highlighting its "layered and velvety tannins and gorgeous fruit" as well as its "full-bodied, layered and structured" profile. Suckling advises to "try in 2021" for optimal enjoyment, indicating that the wine requires additional time to soften its tannins.
Wine Enthusiast also gave it a 96, noting Latour’s reputation for producing excellent wines even in less favorable vintages. The review mentions that the 2006 vintage "brings structure and ripeness into a form that is almost ethereal," with powerful fruit that integrates seamlessly into the structure, culminating in a fresh finish.
Jeb Dunnuck from jebdunnuck.com also rated it 96, describing it as "straight up classic Latour" with "terrific cassis and blackcurrant fruit." Dunnuck emphasizes the wine’s "medium to full-bodied richness" and "impeccable balance," suggesting it is on "the early edge of a long drinking plateau."
Neal Martin has reviewed the wine in both Vinous and his own Wine Journal. In Vinous, he gave it a 94, describing the nose as having "pencil-shaving infused black fruit, wild hedgerow and light cassis aromas." He noted the palate's "firm grip with an uncompromising backbone" and a "refreshingly saline" finish. Martin’s Wine Journal review, which scored it 95, mentions a "tight but feisty, youthful and vibrant" palate with a "reserved finish."
Wine Spectator’s James Suckling (not to be confused with his later review on jamessuckling.com) awarded the wine a 95, praising its "pure nose of currant and blackberry with crushed fruit," and detailing its "solid core of fruit and very polished refined tannins."
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also gave it a 95, with Lisa Perrotti-Brown highlighting the wine’s "medium to deep garnet-purple color" and "lovely open nose with florals and red fruit aromas." She commends the wine's elegant and minerally palate, noting its "compelling iron ore character and great length."
Wine & Spirits gave it a 95, with Lacey Burke of Gotham Bar & Grill describing the wine as "like a cat wrapping around your ankles," emphasizing its "harmonious intensity" and "luscious and muscular" tannins.
Decanter rated it 95, acknowledging a "hint of dilution from harvest rains" but praising its "firm and dense" texture and "ripe currant and plum fruit with a bit of leather, spice and just a suggestion of violets."
Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com gave it a 96, describing it as a "firm style of Latour" with "strictness to the tannins" and advising that it "needs another 10-15 more years before the tannins soften."
Overall, the 2006 Chateau Latour is a structured and refined wine with significant aging potential, characterized by its firm tannins, rich fruit, and balanced minerality.