“It’s clarity and finesse here for 2011.” – James Suckling

Per Robert Parker, the 2011 Château Latour is “one of the vintage’s most compelling wines.” And it costs, on average, over $800 a bottle these days.

For $59, you can pile up on the next-door neighbor today.

In praise of the exceptional terroir here, Decanter explains that “there are two principal plots, with one of deep Gunzian gravel over a clay-limestone subsoil and the other clay-limestone and limestone-chalk. Both are located on the Bages plateau, one of the best terroirs of Pauillac, with the vines in two plots next to Château Latour and Pichon Baron.”

I’m sure, as James Suckling said, it was better in 2017 than in 2014 when he reviewed it. Yet again, I will bet anything that it’s even better in 2026: Our jaws dropped at how beautifully it’s drinking now! When Falstaff called a “certain ageing potential” - this was exactly what they were talking about.

Jumps out of the glass with blackberry liqueur, rolled tobacco and just a touch of allspice, well-defined and decisively classic, no, make that classy, in style. The palate is round, elegant and poised, with plenty of softer black and red fruits. Quintessential Pauillac on the finish, with graphite, pencil shavings and a dusty cocoa note to spare. Imagine, with a wild mushroom risotto, or a grilled petite fillet weekday feast, this is silky, totally open for business, ready to put so many smiles on so many faces.

Let’s not sugarcoat it though, 2011 was a difficult vintage, followed by the stunning 2009 and 2010s. Per Wine Spectator, “2011 is a solid vintage, yielding reds that will cellar well for a decade and provide pleasant drinking while consumers wait for the more monumental recent vintages to fully mature.”

Or as Vinous brilliantly points out, “Putting a positive spin on things, I appreciated the style of the 2011s that are far removed from the decadence of 2009 and bombast of 2010, with lower alcohol levels that appeal to those for whom 14.5% guarantees a severe headache the following morning.”

Last word from Falstaff on the farming, “Madame Villars and her husband Gonzague Lurton are among the pioneers of biodynamics, with their numerous crops such as Ferrière, La Gurgue and Durfort-Vivens. Haut-Bages Libéral directly borders the L’Enclos of Latour to the north and has gravelly soils three meters deep and more clay in the subsoil. In 2009, the first plots were converted, and significant improvements were also made in the cellar. Thus, over time, the wine has departed from its robust-voluminous style and has increasingly taken on the most advantageous traits of a true Pauillac.”

So, never mind the 91-93 scores; this delivers WAY more than $59 of pure Pauillac pleasure!

93 Points – James Suckling “This wine has a true beauty and succulence that impresses, especially for the vintage. It’s full-bodied, with fine tannins and a subtle, fruity finish. It’s clarity and finesse here for 2011. Better in 2017.”

91 Points – Falstaff “Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, subtle ochre rim. Restrained, somewhat shy bouquet, black berry fruit, delicate floral nuances, a hint of cassis and purple fruit. Complex, juicy, ripe cherries, balanced, integrated tannins, fine nougat note, elegant and long-lasting, black cherries on the finish, certain ageing potential.”