France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Petit Verdot

Ch. Latour

Les Forts de Latour Pauillac

Bordeaux

Pauillac

Lean muscularity, juicy salinity, this captures the fragrance and finesse that is possible to deliver in the vintage, with concentrated black fruits, squid ink, liquorice and tobacco leaf flavour, and an unfussy earthy character that belies its low 11hl/ha yield. I would expect this to begin drinking within five to six years. 70% new oak for ageing, 5% press. 44% of the production, Hélène Genin director.

Inside Bordeaux

Deep garnet-purple colored. Slowly unfurls to offer glimpses of fresh blackberries and boysenberry scents, leading to suggestions of dusty soil, cardamom, and pencil shavings. The light-bodied palate is vibrant with black and red berry flavors, supported by finely grained tannins and great tension, finishing on a minerally note.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Rose petals, smoked earth, cigar box, fennel, black cherry, cocoa bean and liquorice, this is a Forts that brings depth and character, and showcases the exceptional precision work that is ongoing in the vineyards here under Hélène Génin and team. 38.6% percent of production, 50% new oak for ageing.

A blend of 58.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37.9% Merlot, and 3.4% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts with a profound nose of creme de cassis, blackberry pie, and chocolate-covered cherries, leading to suggestions of violets, Indian spices, and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut with muscular black fruits, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with a mineral lift. This includes 4.2% press wine and represents 40.8% of the year's production. pH 3.7, TPI 80.

A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32.6% Merlot, and 6.4% Petit Verdot, Les Forts de Latour 2021 has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It slowly emerges from the glass with notes of fresh blackberries, kirsch, and lilacs, leading to an undercurrent of tilled soil, dried lavender, and cumin seed, with an earthy touch of mossy tree bark. The light to medium-bodied palate is lively and energetic, with finely-grained tannins to support the vibrant red and black berry layers, finishing on a lingering minerally note.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26.5% Merlot, and 3.5% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple colored. The nose is very closed to begin, slowly offering glimpses at crushed blackberries, mulberries, and cassis notes, followed by hints of aniseed, black truffles, and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate is very tightly wound with loads of vibrant black fruit and earthy layers and a firm, grainy backbone, finishing long with a compelling lift.

Composed of 65.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.9% Merlot, and 2.3% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with classic scents of cedar, cassis, and plum preserves, followed by suggestions of bay leaves, lavender, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is tight-knit, bright, and refreshing, with fine-grained tannins and a mineral-laced finish.

A blend of 65.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 0.4% Petit Verdot, Les Forts de Latour 2018 has a deep garnet-purple color. It storms out of the glass with powerful scents of blackberry pie, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, melding into a background of sandalwood, Indian spices, dusty soil, and licorice, with a hint of dried flowers. The medium to full-bodied palate is powerful and seductive, delivering firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness to frame the generous flavors of black fruit preserves, finishing long and opulent.

A blend of 65.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 0.8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Les Forts de Latour has a medium to deep garnet color with a lingering hint of purple. It prances out of the glass with fragrant scents of black raspberries, mulberries, and black currant pastilles, leading to suggestions of lilacs, iron ore, fragrant earth, and black truffles, plus a waft of fallen leaves. The palate delivers an elegantly styled, medium body with fantastically ripe, ever so fine-grained tannins and beautiful tension supporting the intense black and red berry layers, finishing with impressive length and loads of mineral and floral sparks.

This is the kind of vintage where you just know Forts de Latour is going to hit it out of the park, and I would be happy to recommend choosing this 2nd wine over many main estate wines in less impressive vintages. It's restrained, nuanced, keeping plenty in reserve, but the texture is rippled, by turns slate then velvet, slowing everything down through the palate. This was the first year of 100% conversion into organic viticulture, not just within the walled L'Enclos but across the entire estate, with official certification in 2018. Where the 2017 Pauillac de Latour (also released now) is all nuance and delicacy, the 2016 Forts is built, muscular, but full of precision, with deft strokes to define the tannins. A wine you will be thrilled to share - and one that has really grown into itself since being tasted En Primeur, underlining perhaps the benefit of a late release. 50% new oak. 37.5% of overall production.

Charm and precision, slate scrape texture, finely boned tannins that disguise a punch through the mid palate, an enjoyable Les Forts that is ready to go. Good quality, not the intensity of the 2016, but keeps the concentrated cassis and cocoa bean signature that makes this such a brilliant wine. Hélène Genin technical director.

Er denne verdt pengene for å drikkes i øyeblikket? Nei. Men smaker er det godt? Ja! Nesten svart i farven. Veldig tilkneppet aroma, men det finnes flyktige, florale toner som lokkes frem med litt jobbing med glasset. Den er glatt og behagelig å drikke nå, og den formelig eksploderer i hele munnen. Etter noen timer i karaffel viser den litt av det typiske stallpreget. Evig lang ettersmak. Jeg vil tippe at den blir fantastisk om ti år. Men den er dobbelt så dyr som den burde vært. Skikkelig snadder for label-drinkers med dyp lommebok

Amatør

The 2013 Les Forts de Latour is medium garnet colored with a touch of brick. Scents of dried cranberries, kirsch, and dusty soil drift casually from the glass with touches of garrigue and black olives. Light to medium-bodied, the palate has well-managed, approachable tannins and a good amount of expressive fruit, with a nicely poised, savory finish.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Les Forts de Latour offers fragrant, open-knit scents of warm cassis, fruitcake, and spice box plus wafts of dried herbs, cigars, and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate delivers a chewy frame and just enough fruit, finishing a little hard.

Andrevina til Latour er bedre enn mang en førstevin.
Flott nå, trenger tid i flaska, noe denne viser.
Møtk, ikke erketypisk Bordeaux med super kvalitet !

WSET 1

95? Det er sjeldent jeg smaker vin nærmere 100. Aroma, flott bær, kirsebær, solbær, plommer, tre og noe hmmm. Fyldig frukt, godt modent, grei syrlighet og hyggelige tanniner. Lang, lang, lang.

27.12.20

Hinsides vin. Den har alt. Balanse, deilige smaker, og veldig kompleks. Inngangen starter med bær, krydder, vanilje, og holder seg igjennom. Sinnsyk ettersmak.

Lukt: blåbær, vanilje, litt tjære. 

Kan ligge lenger. 

Smaken vokser og vokser i munnen. Krydder, vanilje, og bær om hverandre. Deilig.

Expert

Crushed blackberries, wild strawberries, white truffles and leather, this is fully open and at a great moment to drink, just heading towards tertiary character. Easily one of the most consistently impressive 2nd wines in Bordeaux, Forts de Latour was launched under Henri Martin and Jean-Paul Gardère in 1966, and at one point in its history there was even a discussion about it becoming part of a revised 1855 classification. What's for sure is that this is a great vintage to discover it if you haven't so far. 100% new oak for ageing.

Nydelig dyp rød farve, lakris og solbær på duft + neglelakkfjerner. Smooth og saftig, hadde til lammestek. Grattis med dagen muttern 🙋🏼‍♂️

Amateur

Cassis, sopp, jordbær og noe vanilje på nesen. God fylde i vinen med silkete tekstur og lang finish. På farge er den dyp rød med svak brunlig kant. 

Duft av mørke bær, skogbunn og røyk. 
Ikke så tykk som ønsket av en moden topp-bordeaux men null tanniner og veldig god konsistens. 

Smak av overmodne mørke bær. 
Mørk farge med rusten kant. 

Drukket til entrecôte

The first vintage of Les Forts de Latour, introduced by estate directors Jean-Paul Gardère and Henri Martin. This is excellent, and remains surprisingly robust and well structured, with coffee grounds, blackberry and campfire smoke. What a pairing with the 1966 Latour - inevitably you can find this at a lower price than the Grand Vin today, and I would suggest that it's worth your time to look at tracking down a bottle. Harvest September 25 to October 10. 

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Latour
Vintages	2024
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pauillac
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
Acid	%
Sugar	g/l

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