Wine Words & Video Tape

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Château Latour-Martillac

Address: 33650 Martillac

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 97 71 11

E-mail: latourmartillac@latourmartillac.com

Website: www.latourmartillac.com

Vineyard/Terroir: 44 hectares planted on Pyrenean gravel with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot for the red and 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 44% Sémillon and 1% Muscadelle.

Winemaking/Elévage: 40% new oak for white and red, the white spends around 15 months in barrel and the red between 16-20 months depending on the vintage.

Tasting notes:

White:

  • 2015 Washed silver; saline; appetising; oyster shells; lacks a bit of definition; more elegant style on the palate. Tasted UGCB 7/6/16. Drink 2019-2025. 87-89
  • 2014 Washed silver; hint of green; grapefruit and citrus elements; some candy notes; lychees tones; very attractive; palate quite strong; nice acidity; dips a fraction in the middle but will fill in I’d expect. Good effort. [70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillon]. Drink 2017-2025. Tasted UGCB 1 April, 2015. 90-92+
  • 2013 Steely looking; zesty grapefruit and citrus nose; some apple too; quite crisp and elegant on the palate with a zippy finish. Refreshing. [70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillon]. Tssted UGCB April 2014. Drink 2015-2023. 88-90
  • 2012 Palest grey/green; apple tones alongside something sturdy; fresh apples on the palate; leaner more racy style with real citrus zing; very zippy and refreshing. Shrieks for a dozen huitres fins de claire! Drink now-2020. 90+ UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Palest straw; some apple and spice; density; grapefruit and citrus lifts; lacks a bit of length at the back end but will fill out. 87-89
  • 2011 Pale straw; full nose; grapefruit, wax and spicy tones; upfront; zappy and zesty palate with nice fruit and real zip. Very attractive – full flavoured but with razzle-dazzle zip. Drink now – 2021. 90+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Palest grey/gold; grapefruit, lees, nice and concentrated nose; some attractive barrique influence; big bold spicy palate; lees, full of grapefruit, citrus and waxy flavours. Very good. Real zip here. Vivacious. Nice length. [65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon] 91-93+
  • 2010 Palest green/gold; spicy, bolder more masculine style than Larrivet; grapefruit, spice; attractive; broader palate, some wet dog; full; little loose on the finish. 89+ [Earlier] Colourless/palest straw; fresh, some grass, grapefruit and passionfruit too; grass and candy on the palate, good zip and life; lees and wax alongside floral and spicy tones too. Will develop well. 90-92+/100 Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC.
  • 2009 Pale straw; grapefruit, guava, candy and lees; attractive; full and waxy; big deep palate; lots of fruit and oak; big. Nice length; lots of fruit here on the palate; guava, spices etc; good length too. Excellent effort. 91+ [Earlier] Very pale; grassy note with barrique note; quite round and attractive; apples, attractive palate will fill out; fresh, apples and citrus notes, grapefruit. Lots of zip here too. Well done 90-92+ [35% Sauvignon, 65% Semillon]. Tasted 31st March 2010 UGC primeur tastings
  • 2008 Pale gold; very fresh nose with grass and concentration, very appealing; lots of fruit on the palate, fresh candy and citrus. Very attractive. 90 UGC Oct ‘10
Red:
  • 2015 Deep and saturated look; pretty briary, brambly fruit; nice style; cherry and chocolate notes; ripe fruit on the mid-palate; quite grippy on the finish with some extracted elements; this has the fruit though. [54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot 13.9%alc]. Tasted UGCB 7/4/16. Drink 2020-2028. 89-91
  • 2014 Dark and saturated look; red purple at edge; fresh, stalky blackcurrant; layers here; like this; ripe palate; little chewy and tannic at present but had fresh acidiy and will sort nicely I reckon. Crisp and chewy but has potential. [66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot]. Drink 2018-2028. Tasted 1 April, 2015 UGC. 88-90
  • 2013 Very deep looking; colour tight to the rim; purple edge; quite pretty aromatically with some oak influence but lots of fruit here; earth note [not unattractive]; palate bit of a jumble with lots of fruit but the oak poking out. Chewy on the end. Needs to settle. [60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot]. Tasted UGCB April 2014. Drink 2018-2025. 86-88
  • 2012 Mid depth; more complex than La Louvière – spicy plum and blackcurrant; attractive cool palate with blackcurrants and a hint of earth and pepper; tannin at end but interesting. Drink now-2025. 88+ UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and dense; blackcurrants, some fresh, stalky Cabernet notes; some Morello cherry tones; fresh; initially sweet entry; lots of material and then the extracted tannins. This feels very chewy at present but there feels like there is sufficient fruit to handle this. Will always have bite at the end. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot 13.26% alc 86-88 Tasted Wednesday April 10, 2013 at UGC
  • 2011 Quite dense colour for the vintage; blackcurrant aromas; earthy tones but pure; stalky blackcurrant flavours on the palate; some chew and acid which makes the finish a bit puckering. Will come good but probably always a bit angular. Drink 2016-2025. 87 UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Deep and dark; purple edge; creamy ripe , modern; some earthy, mealy tones; pure blackcurrant fruits, some leafy tones; dense and tannic finish but there is a lot of blackcurrant fruit too. See how we go. Jury still out. 85-87
  • 2010 Deep and saturated; deep at core; earthy, some mocha notes; olives; blackcurrants and sour cherry; spicy blackcurrant fruit with some purity; lots of blackcurrant fruit; earthy tones; grip and structure too. Lots here. Very promising. Again needs time. 92+ [Earlier] Deep and saturated; thick and rich, ripe and lush nose; really succulent; ripe palate but quite extracted feel, too much for me; tannins very puckering; may meld; nose is very promising but for me too extracted and tannic. Verdict out until it settles. 86-88?/100 Tasted 6April 2011 UGC.
  • 2009 Dark concentrated to edge; concentrated red fruits, plums and figs, very ripe flavours; some polish here; sweet entry on palate, then the tannin arrives; chewy and concentrated. Will need time to meld but lots of elements. [Later] Ripe and fruity, rich cake like palate with flesh and red fruits. Tannic but ripe tannins. Potentially 90+/100. Tasted 31st March 2010 UGC primeurs tastings.   

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