Latour @ Raffles Hotel

Signed up for this some time ago but was told only left waiting list. Last minute got a call from Raffles saying someone cancelled and whether I would be keen to take it. A tough decision from me especially since it’s not cheap and I have the pre-CNY Clementi wine dinner to attend after that. But Latour is LATOUR, so ultimately I succumbed.

The event was quite posh, as were the crowd. Each person given 500ml of Fiji water and some slices of pretty delicious bread (but no cheese!) as well as a soft-bound copy of Chateau Latour promo materials. The event was hosted by someone from the Chateau and an angmoh wine critic. Wine glasses from Schott Zwiesel.

Wine tasted in the following order:

Les Forts de Latour 2005
Bright deep ruby hues with the rims almost neon magenta. In the nose, very floral with slight tobacco and clearly complex aromas. On the palate, cherries and hints of coffee. Very concentrated wine but with a acidic spine to hold it all together. Power with elegance. Tannins were very fine. Very very long finish. My WOTN.

Les Forts de Latour 2004
Darker and duller in color. Less fruit on the nose compared to the ’05. Finish also shorter than the ’05. But it’s good for drinking now with good fruit on the palate. I wouldn’t mind getting this if it’s below $180.

Les Forts de Latour 2002
Intense pencil lead on the nose. There’s a lingering sweetness in this wine which wasn’t cloying at all. Finish was reasonably long. Very elegant and quite similar in style to the previous one.

Latour 2004
Wow, clearly belonging to a different league compared to the Les Forts. Color was very dark. The aromas were so intense and powerful, it punches you squarely in the nose. A wow wine. Heavy bodied and thick in concentration yet with sufficient acidity and tannins to hold it all together. A good introduction to what Latour really is.

Latour 2003
A super-duper intense nose bordering on liquorish. Very juicy yet very thick in texture.The ripeness of ’03 plus the powerful style of Latour made this a wine I would find difficult to finish a bottle of. The mouthfeel was quite similar to a Mollydooker I tried before. Not my style.

Latour 2001
Ah this is the kind of wine I like. Very pleasant and enjoyable to drink now. Nose still very intense but not as overpowering like the ’03. Full and round wine. Bone dry and lively. I like it. My favourite Latour of the night.

Latour 1996
Very herbal and vegetal nose. I don’t like this kind of nose at all. On the palate there’s complexity and mint and liquorice. For me I liked the palate more than the nose, but after a while the herbal notes appeared on the palate and spoilt it for me. Thus this was no longer the WOTN for me.

Latour 1995
The nose is more Pauillac in character. The intensity doesn’t hit me immediately but I can sense it hiding in the background. I feel that this wine is a quiet and reserved wine. Full of potential but not showy. Perhaps it needs more years to go. To be frank at this time, my tongue was quite numb liao and mind not very clear anymore (minimal spitting of the wines!) so might not be 100% accurate.

So what do I think of Latour now? For one, it is a WOW wine. A wine which will make you sit up and take notice of it. A wine for impressing with its sheer power and concentration. A very worthy experience for me.