Les Forts de Latour

Les Forts de Latour is produced with the same meticulous care as the Grand Vin, both in the vineyard and in the winery. The only notable difference, apart from the origin of the grapes, is the proportion of new barrels (50 to 60%) used in the maturing stage.

The blend for Forts de Latour can vary from one year to the next but there is always a higher proportion of Merlot (25 to 30%) compared to the Grand Vin. Taking its name from an historic plot in the « Enclos », the wine was first labelled with this name in 1966 and constant work on developing its quality has resulted in its achieving the level of a Médoc Grand Cru Classé.

Winemaker notes

2018: Powerful and concentrated with a long and persistent finish. Vintage available only for Les Forts de Latour and le Pauillac de château Latour.

2012

Wine Advocate 92: Composed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2012 Les Forts de Latour has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and nose of redcurrants, black cherries and kirsch with menthol, cigars and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is soft and vibrant with a lively line and an herbal lift on the finish.

James Suckling 93: A juicy and rich red, offering chocolate and hazelnuts. Plum and berry undertones. Full-bodied with angular tannins that are firm and muscular. Needs a year or two to soften still.

Vinous 93: The 2012 Les Forts de Latour has a light minty bouquet, more red than black fruit, touches of orange peel and light pencil shaving scents. The palate is medium-bodied with good density, fine tannins, becoming increasingly precise towards the finish, graphite and black pepper lingering on the aftertaste. Wonderful breeding here, a step ahead of other Deuxième Vins. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Decanter 91: Superb colour, cassis fruit and the classic graphite grip of top Pauillacs, fragrance, precision and great class. [NB: Tasted en primeur and originally rated as 17.5 points under the 20-point scale used by Decanter at the time]

2018

Wine Advocate 94+: The 2018 Les Forts de Latour is made up of 65.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 0.4% Petit Verdot, with 14.2% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. It was aged in 60% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a fair bit of swirling to reveal notions of baked black cherries, cassis and blackberry pie with hints of pencil lead, clove oil, cardamom and allspice with a waft of violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impressive density with velvety tannins and a lively backbone supporting the generous black fruits, finishing long with all the earthy nuances coming through at the very end.

James Suckling 94-95: A solid and steely red with lots of blackcurrant and blueberry character. Medium-to full-bodied and polished, fine tannins. Flavorful finish.

Vinous 94: The 2018 Les Forts de Latour is surprisingly approachable. It boasts serious concentration because of the warm dry summer and ensuing low yields, yet the intensity of the fruit pretty much covers the tannins, quite unusual for young Forts de Latour. Dark-toned fruit, gravel, incense, licorice and scorched earth add to the wine's distinctive sepia-toned personality. The 2018 turned out beautifully.

2021

Wine Advocate 91+: The gap between this cuvée and the grand vin is sometimes surprisingly narrow, but that isn't the case with the 2021 Les Forts de Latour. Offering up aromas of cassis, plums and creamy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, with a broad attack, tangy acids and youthfully stringy tannins that assert themselves on the finish. I suspect it will come together with a bit more time in bottle.

James Suckling 95: Very aromatic, with chocolate, hazelnuts, blackcurrants and graphite. Medium-bodied, leading to a long, silky, creamy finish. The quality of the very fine tannins is exceptional for the vintage. Almost Burgundian in its sensibility. Drinkable now but better in three or four years.

Vinous 94: The 2021 Les Forts de Latour is a dark, imposing wine. Swaths of tannin wrap around a core of black fruit, gravel, incense, tobacco, licorice and scorched earth. This virile, explosive Pauillac needs time to soften, but it is seriously impressive. Bright saline notes extend the finish. Technical Director Hélène Genin told me she gave the Forts de Latour (and the Pauillac) a bit more new oak at the beginning of élevage to help build texture.

Decanter 91: Dark chocolate, smoke, ash and blackcurrant aromas. Structured and expansive, round and generous in terms of weight and tannins. It has a crunch and brightness of fruit with layers of detail. Lovely clarity and pure refinement, fine and smooth but persistent. Mouthwatering acidity, really very salivating and lively, with the tannins to hold it up. Still on the lighter side, but a lovely mouthfeel here with such freshness and impressively long mint-driven finish. A sterling effort.