A superb vintage all over Bordeaux, and absolutely one that you should be searching out with the Crus Classés de Graves. You can wait for this to soften for sure, because the tannins are pretty racy right now, squaring up to the blackcurrant and blackberry fruit rather than cradling it, but there is such a charm to its confidence that I am pretty tempted to say go for it now with a few hours in a carafe. Liqourice, cocoa beans, crème de cassis, espresso and a ton of brambled autumnal fruits. 40% new oak
95 points, Jane Anson (Mar 2022)
This is very perfumed with blackberry and blueberry aromas, but shows a hot-stone and blanched-almond undertone. Medium-to full-bodied with tight and silky tannins that are extremely polished and beautiful. Love the length and balance to this. Try after 2022.
94 points, James Suckling (Feb 2019)
The 2016 Latour Martillac is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with warm plums, kirsch and redcurrant jelly on the nose with touches of bay leaves, iron ore and black soil. Medium-bodied with a well-sustained mid-palate of muscular fruit, it has a firm backbone of fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing very long.
93 points, Wine Advocate (Nov 2018)
The 2016 Latour-Martillac offers classic Pessac-Léognan scents on the nose: black fruit, black olive and a touch of sage, plus hints of blue fruit that emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and fine acidity. A little compact toward the finish, but with good persistence. My feeling is that this will close down quite soon after bottling, but there is a great wine here.
93 points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Jan 2019)
A structured wine backed by plenty of black-currant fruits, this is initially austere. Its richness needs time to develop and turn into the classically structured wine that this estate does so well. Drink from 2025.
93 points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (May 2019)
The 2016 Latour-Martillac is deep garnet in color. It flies out of the glass with energetic notes of crushed red and black currants, warm plums, and pencil lead, plus hints of black olives and truffles. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly wound with red and black fruit layers intertwined with mineral sparks, framed by grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with great length.
93 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Dec 2022)