97+Point by Decanter. 
Deep garnet-brick in color, the nose is well developed, displaying dried berry, leather, vanilla pod and anise notes with a faint whiff of potpourri. The palate is wonderfully fleshy and opulent with velvety, approachable tannins and a long finish. A lovely wine, outperforming the 1996 at this point. Picking was finished in September, taking place from the 13th to the 27th. 
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 
 
History of Château Latour:
Château Latour is one of Bordeaux's – and the world's – most famous wine producers. It is situated in the southeast corner of the Pauillac commune on the border of Saint-Julien, in the Médoc region. Rated as a First Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, it has become one of the most sought-after and expensive wine producers on the planet, and produces powerfully structured Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines capable of lasting many decades.Latour's development as a single property came with the beginning of a long unbroken period of connected family ownership, based around the de Ségur name, also associated with Mouton and Calon-Ségur. This began in 1670 and lasted 290 years although, after the French Revolution, Latour was divided up and not fully reunited until 1841. The grand vin is only made from the vineyard plots surrounding the chateau and shown on the 1759 plan of the domaine. Vine age in these sections is around 60 years old.