Les Forts de Latour 2016

The 2016 Les Forts de Latour is superb, unwinding in the glass with notions of blackcurrants, wild berries, sweet loamy soil, cigar wrapper and English walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it’s concentrated and tightly wound, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins. This is an impeccably balanced, utterly classical Forts de Latour worth a special effort to seek out. 2030 - 2060

The 2016 Les Forts de Latour has a gorgeous bouquet, extremely pure and floral, veins of blue fruit, cassis permeating the blackberry fruit. The palate is beautifully balanced, again, very saline and a little spicier than I expected. There is a veneer of black fruit that makes it seem quite approachable, yet the tannins and backbone are there behind it. This is a superb Les Forts de Latour. Frédéric Engerer opined that it will drink in two or three years, though its substance and complexity suggests that those with the wherewithal to cellar this Les Fort will be amply rewarded. 2028 - 2050

Deep, saturated ruby purple in the glass. The nose is pure cassis, briary fruit and incense, the underlying weight of savoury fruit is very impressive. This intensity follows on the palate, which is tightly wound and framed by persistent, ripe and chewy tannins. This is a wine of precision and power, more akin to second growths than a second wine. Piercing black fruit leads with subtle spices in the background, lingering on a very precise and powerful finish. Give this a good decant if approaching now, or wait until a decade old. It will doubtless cellar for two decades. Excellent.

Lots of blueberries, ripe blackberries, violets, peppercorns, olives and cloves on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fleshy tannins. Beautiful blue fruit and flowers. Layered and long. Drink after 2023.

A blend of 64.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.3% Merlot, and 0.4% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple in color. It is just a touch closed to begin, soon unfurling to deliver wonderfully pure, ripe blackcurrants and juicy plums scents, followed by suggestions of candied violets and cardamom with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins with fantastic tension and a core of tightly wound black fruits, finishing long and earthy.

Tasted blind. Dark and lustrous. High toned and interesting. Rich and layered. Lots of detail. Complete. Very Pauillac. Not heavy. Pretty dry end.
Drink 2026 – 2046

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.

First produced in 1966, this is not really a second wine as it is produced from separate parts of the vineyard which contain many old vines, as well as from some vats that are not quite up to the standards of the Grand Vin de Château Latour. Grapes from the vineyard's young vines do not go into Les Forts de Latour but are used for a generic Pauillac third label. Clearly the equivalent of a top classed growth. Under Frédéric Engerer's management, Les Forts de Latour has continued to improve in quality and recent vintages have been at "super-second growth" levels. This wine will not be sold En Primeur but kept at the Chateau until it is mature. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and a dash of Cabernet Franc, this year it will represent 37.5% of the total production. Deep colour with a powerful blackcurrant and wood smoke nose. The palate is dense with concentrated blackberry and cassis supported by plentiful ripe and chewy tannins. Texture and smokiness builds through the mid-palate to match the great intensity of fruit. Fine, long and classic Pauillac, this is incredibly powerful and long for a "second" wine.

Brooding richness the nose has smoky black fruits the palate dark chocolate and cocoa beans. The tannins are firm but ripe the fleshy fruit fills out the mid palate depth richness power all this balanced by underling bramble freshness an attractive purity of fruit. 2026-40

A stunning second wine from Château Latour, as you’d expect in a top vintage like 2016, this is remarkably perfumed for such a young red, with notes of violets and dark berry fruit, liquorice and cinnamon. Poised, balanced and structured, with real class. 2026-34