-
95
/ 100
James Suckling -
95
/ 100
The Wine Independent -
96
/ 100
Jeb Dunnuck -
94
/ 100
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW -
94
/ 100
Antonio Galloni
Red
Classification
Cabernet Blend
Variety
2018
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Bordeaux, Medoc
Region
13.7%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
95 / 100"A solid and steely red with lots of blackcurrant and blueberry character. Medium-to full-bodied and polished, fine tannins. Flavorful finish."
- James Suckling
95 / 100
"Les Forts de Latour 2018 is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a fair bit of coaxing to unlock bright, youthful notes of crushed blackcurrants, black raspberries, and warm plums, plus hints of licorice, violets, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has exquisitely ripe, fine-knit tannins and fantastic tension supporting the layered black and red fruits, finishing very long and fragrant. Classy!"
- The Wine Independent
96 / 100
"Stepping up on the serious scale, the 2018 Les Forts De Latour checks in as a mix of 65.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and just a splash of Petit Verdot. It boasts a deeper purple color as well as powerful notes of high-class smoke tobacco, graphite, crushed rocks, and ample black and blue fruits. Rich, full-bodied, concentrated, and yet still perfectly balanced, it's another brilliant second wine from Latour that competes with most estates’ top wines."
- Jeb Dunnuck
94 / 100
"The 2018 Les Forts de Latour is made up of 65.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 0.4% Petit Verdot, with 14.2% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. It was aged in 60% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a fair bit of swirling to reveal notions of baked black cherries, cassis and blackberry pie with hints of pencil lead, clove oil, cardamom and allspice with a waft of violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impressive density with velvety tannins and a lively backbone supporting the generous black fruits, finishing long with all the earthy nuances coming through at the very end."
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
94 / 100
"The 2018 Les Forts de Latour is surprisingly approachable. It boasts serious concentration because of the warm dry summer and ensuing low yields, yet the intensity of the fruit pretty much covers the tannins, quite unusual for young Forts de Latour. Dark-toned fruit, gravel, incense, licorice and scorched earth add to the wine's distinctive sepia-toned personality. The 2018 turned out beautifully."
- Antonio Galloni
Tasting Notes
Les Forts de Latour is produced with the same meticulous care as the Grand Vin, both in the vineyard and in the winery. The only notable difference, apart from the origin of the grapes, is the proportion of new barrels (50 to 60%) used in the maturing stage. The blend for Forts de Latour can vary from one year to the next but there is always a higher proportion of Merlot (25 to 30%) compared to the Grand Vin.
Chateau Latour's second wine in 2018 shows the concentration and density of the vintage, with intense dark fruit and licorice. Earthy notes and aromatic incense add complexity, and there are lots of velvety, dense tannins. This feels approachable, but has serious heft that will soften with more time in bottle.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity