Château Latour Pauillac 2013 is one of the standout wines of a difficult Bordeaux vintage, offering a refined and approachable expression of this legendary First Growth. Sweet tobacco, cedar, tar and blackcurrant mingle with violets, cigar box, red and black berries and subtle savoury notes, while evolved tannins and vibrant freshness lead to a long, spicy finish. Rated 95 points by James Suckling and 93 points by The Wine Advocate, it is drinking beautifully now.

James Suckling | JS 95
Published: Apr 2, 2021

Very enticing sweet tobacco, cedar, tar and blackcurrant on the nose with hints of black mushrooms and violets. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that are still slightly chewy, but show poise and focus. Juicy finish with a berry, iodine and walnut aftertaste. Just a touch of austerity at the end. Savory. Clearly one of the top wines of this very difficult vintage, along with Margaux and Lafleur. Drinkable now, but better in 2024.

The Wine Advocate | RP 93
Published: Mar 23, 2021
Drink: 2021-2041

Composed of 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Merlot and 0.4% Petit Verdot, the 2013 Latour offers an open-knit, fragrant nose of licorice, sandalwood, rose petals and cigar box over a core of Black Forest cake, stewed plums, mulberries and redcurrant jelly, plus a waft of cast-iron pan. The elegantly styled, medium-bodied palate (13% alcohol) fills the mouth with intense red and black berry preserves layers, framed by evolved, soft-textured tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and spicy. This vintage does not have the power and backbone of an outstanding vintage of Latour, but it is aging gracefully and, still possessing a lot of discernible fruit with plenty of tertiary pizazz, is absolutely delicious to drink right now. This sweet-spot stage is likely to continue for another 5-7 years, before the wine plateaus at a maturity peak and holds for a further 15 years.

Jancis Robinson | JR 16.5++
Published: Feb 2, 2023
Drink: 2025-2040

Blackish crimson. Latour's second vintage outside the en-primeur system. Nose is quite intense for a 2013 though it may suffer for being tasted next to the more ethereal Lafite 2013. Dense and arguably a little stodgy. It may come right eventually but it's just The Incredible Hulk at the moment. Jancis Robinson