This is Latour’s strongest line-up of annual releases since they opted out of the En Primeur system ten years ago. The 2014 Grand Vin will undoubtedly live up to collectors’ expectations of a great Latour, while the 2016 Les Forts de Latour and 2017 Le Pauillac de Château Latour are punching above their weights.

The biggest surprise for me this year was the humblest wine of the trio: the Pauillac. I was a little disappointed with the 2016 Pauillac released last year. I found that the 2017—generally a lighter, less consistent vintage than 2016—surpasses it in terms of purity and precision. It is a very respectable representation of its commune and beautifully captures the modern spirit of the Château.

Continuing in the same upward trajectory as the 2015 Les Forts de Latour that was released last year, 2016 is a flat-out blockbuster. It sidesteps the slight rusticity that I picked up on the 2016 Pauillac, pristinely capturing the power and profound nature of this great Bordeaux vintage. 2016 was Latour’s first year in organic conversion, necessitating a cut-back in the amount of SO2 used in winemaking. Already incredibly bright and expressive, only 37.5% of the total production went into making this vintage of Les Forts de Latour, slightly less than has made the grade in recent years, indicating that strict selection played a role in the unqualified success of this wine.

This all backs up what I’m seeing in the glass of the 2014 Grand Vin—a polished, elegant expression of Latour that delivers on its promise as a multi-faceted First Growth and with plenty of cellaring potential, yet it is relatively approachable in this fruitier, youthful stage. Enjoy a bottle or two now and cellar the rest. After all, who doesn’t want to have their cake and eat it too?