Les Forts de Latour 2020

The 2020 Les Forts de Latour is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26.5% Merlot and 3.5% Petit Verdot, incorporating a 64-hectoliter tank of Merlot that would normally have been included in the Grand Vin but which didn't fit with this year's blend. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of minty cassis, plums, licorice, pipe tobacco and vanilla pod, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety, with terrific depth at the core and a somewhat more textural, granular profile than the suave 2019. 2027 - 2055

The 2020 Les Forts de Latour has a fresh, delineated, precise and focused bouquet of graphite-infused black fruit. The oak is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit, fine depth and ample grip. This builds momentum toward a structured finish, with a dash of spice lingering on the aftertaste. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Drink between 2030-2060)

Blue fruits and lead pencil come through here. Medium to full body. Firm and silky tannins and a crisp and citrusy finish. Nice zest. Floral and fruity. Al dente fruit. Needs four or five years to show its excellence. Try after 2028.

The 2020 Les Forts De Latour brings everything up a substantial notch, offering medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, liquid violets, and spring flower notes. It shows the fresher, pure, focused style of the vintage, has an incredible floral character, ripe, fine tannins, and great finish. Give it 4-5 years at a minimum, and I suspect it's capable of evolving for decades. (Drink between 2027-2052)