France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Petit Verdot

Ch. Latour

Les Forts de Latour Pauillac

Bordeaux

Pauillac

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.

Amatør

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

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Les Forts de Latour storms out with broody notes of tar and crushed rocks leading to a core of crushed blackcurrants and boysenberries with wafts of pencil lead and fragrant soil. The medium-bodied palate vibrates with energetic black fruits and a refreshing line supported by firm grainy tannins, finishing with a burst of fresh red and black berry flavors. The blend is 55.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40.2% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, with TPI 75.

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.

Restrained and more subdued than the Pauillac de Latour, but this has momentum and character, and is lip-smackingly moreish. Brambled blackberry fruits are contrained within sinewy and fairly serious tannins, with liqourice, tobacco, slate, rosemary and truffle. Not the concentration of a vintage like 2016 in this wine, but hard to argue with, and should be ready to drink within five or six years. 70% new oak, 39% of production.

Inside Bordeaux

In the line up, this is a year older than the Pauillac de Latour, but very clearly deeper and more intense in colour, reflecting the 24hl/h yield after a challenging growing season first with mildew and then with the heat of the summer. The rich texture is immediately apparent, and it needs time to open in the glass, as bottle ageing has tamed the exuberance of En Primeur and given way to a classically muscular expression of the estate character. Those Pauillac tannins are exerting their influence, cradling blackcurrant and damson fruits, cocoa bean, baking spice, graphite, espresso, turmeric and black pepper. A wine that reflects the intensity of the summer, with everything knitted down and austere, I suggest a few more years in bottle before opening to allow more joy to come through, and decant well before serving. 42% of the overall estate production in this wine, 60% new oak.

A floral curl on the first nose, this is an attractive and sappy Forts de Latour, with a fine, elegant, almost chalky aspect to the tannins. Thoroughly charming raspberry and blackberry fruit, fresh earth, cocoa power and slate, with a mouthwatering finish. An elegant feel to this, more evolved than in bigger vintages at the six year stage although still with clear architecture to the tannins. As you sit with it you start to realise just how carefully it is gripping on through the palate, and how fine a wine it is. As with many in Pauillac, Latour found the September rains of 2017 challenging, and two of the plots normally used for the main estate wine are in Forts this year. 6.7% press wine. Hélène Genin techincal director, harvest September 11 to October 4.

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.

Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Les Forts de Latour delivers notes of dried Provence herbs and unsmoked cigars to start off, opening out to a core of preserved plums and Christmas cake plus a hint of cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is chewy and a little tart, with savory flavors and a rugged, herbal finish.

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.

Great quality, in a sweet spot to drink. Has power and grace, and plenty of raspy slate-strewn tannins to sink into, muscular enough to showcase the powerful soils of Latour. Blueberry and blackcurrant fruits in abundance, violet-edged, succulent rather than intense. No need to rush to drink, not the same persistency as 2010 or 2016, but this is easy to recommend. 43% of overall production.

Mørk farge. Mørke bær, solbær, mørke plommer, litt stall og lærtoner. Med syre, mørk lett bløt frukt fyller munnen før en vegg av delikate tanniner treffer smaksløkene. Det er mye tanniner, men samtidig er de delikate, finkorna og strukturerte. Nydelig vin som nok trenger en del år til i kjelleren

Drukket blindt, gjettet bdx av noe slag med tanninene satte meg litt ut….

WSET 2

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.	6993801
Producer	Ch. Latour
Vintages	2009
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pauillac
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	13 %
Acid	3,5 %
Sugar	< 3 g/l

Packaging	Glass
Cork type
Selection	Uten utvalg
Wholesaler	Lars Søreide AS
Carrier	Lars Søreide AS