Latour 1970

The 1970 Latour must be one of the most unpredictable vintages ever produced at the estate. It is prone to wild mood swings! This bottle has a deep colour, slightly turbid, with thin bricking on the rim. The bouquet is powerful, quite feral with maybe some VA, scents of sandalwood and Lapsong Souchang infusing the black fruit, becoming more gamey with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied but quite dense, not a Latour of finesse, but plenty of horsepower. It is almost like a vintage car, but the engine is too powerful. With slightly rough tannin on the finish, this masculine and broad-shouldered Latour is compelling, albeit not without fault. Tasted at a private dinner in London.