Les Forts de Latour 2016

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.

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

"Very iron fist in a velvet glove,” commented winemaker Hélène Genin of the 2016 Les Forts de Latour. “It has a lot of power but also beauty and precision.” She’s not wrong. Deep garnet-purple in color, exuberant scents of kirsch, blueberry preserves, black currant pastilles, and star anise come bounding out of the glass, followed by aromatic nuances of cumin seed, candied violets, fragrant earth, and dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate delivers irresistible grace and tension, with a solid backbone of super-ripe, velvety tannins lending a taut structure to the mighty black fruit layers, finishing very long and mineral-tinged. With a vigorous decant, it makes for an impactful experience right now. However, just another 3-4 more years in the cellar will yield impressive dividends on your investment, given that it is still holding back slightly. Expect to cellar this for a good 20-25 years+. The blend is 64.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.3% Merlot, and 0.4% Cabernet Franc, sporting alcohol of 13.5%. 2025-2048

The 2016 Les Forts de Latour offers a pure, seductive bouquet of gorgeous, graphite-tinged black fruit, focused and full of tension. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and good balance and grip. This is a classic, tobacco- and graphite-driven Pauillac with a very persistent finish. There is something regal about this Les Forts de Latour, one of the finest vintages in recent years. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. 2022 - 2040

The 2016 Les Forts de Latour is a wine that I remember as lush when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, it has more Pauillac expression on the nose instead of that nascent lushness, offering copious black fruit infused with graphite and a touch of chalk. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, almost symmetrical in terms of balance, and shows beautiful definition toward the finish. This would frankly surpass some of the Grand Vins elsewhere. A wonderful Les Forts de Latour that may improve further with bottle age. 13.5% alcohol. Drink 2022-2040

The 2016 Les Forts de Latour is a blend of 64.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.3% Merlot and 0.4% Cabernet Franc, and it represents 37.5% of production this year. It has a surprisingly opulent bouquet, almost a lushness to it thanks to the power of the Merlot, lending it an almost Right Bank allure (possibly due to one parcel in Artigues being declassified from the Grand Vin into the Les Forts de Latour). The palate is very well balanced with supple tannin. Occasionally this Deuxième Vin can be austere like the Château Latour, but this year I find this to be lithe in the mouth, quite sensual with the structure surfacing towards the graphite tinged finish. The length is very impressive here. It will be interested to see when the estate eventually release this wine. This is a plump 'n lovely Les Forts de Latour! Drink 2023 - 2045.

The fresh currant and violet aromas are so complex and beautiful on the nose. Full body, ultra-refined tannins and lovely tannin tension. Shows focus and such finesse. Beautiful finish. Try after 2024.

This builds slowly on the palate, but it’s worth it. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and lots of currants, berries and minerals on the finish. On and on. Better than the 2015?

Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Les Forts de Latour opens with cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise scents with hints of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and hints of black tea and violets. Medium to full-bodied, it has very firm, grainy tannins and is wonderfully intense with layers of bright fruit and loads of red berry sparks, finishing long and minerally. This is a superb showing for Les Forts and I would not be at all surprised if it far exceeds my conservative drinking window estimation!

This is an exceptionally good Forts de Latour, representing 37.5% of production. It is full of graphite and black cassis, closed but not austere. There is flesh on these bones and the texture is already remarkably finessed. This is grippy, showing finesse and energy, aged entirely in new oak although you can't tell. The sense of energy is remarkable even in this second wine. 64.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.3% Merlot and 0.4% Cabernet Franc.

Very supple tannins and absolutely pure drive. Sleek and pure. Rather floral and great evolution of tannins. Super-expressive. (He used very little sulphur on the fruit, which may have had an influence…) Great purity. Dances. Much more refreshing than this wine used to be. 13.5%Drink 2026-2042