LES FORTS DE LATOUR 2015

Les Forts de Latour 2015

“Composed of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.9% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Les Forts de Latour needs a fair bit of air to unlock a profound, powerhouse nose of blackcurrant cordial, boysenberries, plum preserves and dark chocolate, with suggestions of Chinese five spice, clove oil, violets and crushed rocks. The palate packs an absolute flavor wallop, bursting with rich, ripe black fruits and loads of spicy sparks, while framed by beautifully plush tannins, finishing long and minerally. Not at all heavy, on the contrary, the Les Forts is both expansive AND tantalizingly refreshing. In terms of evolution, it has barely budged since I last tasted it in 2017. Impressive. (LPB/3/2021)” – 94+/100, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

VARIETIES: Composed of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.9% Petit Verdot, young vines of the Grand Enclos, at least 12 years of age
REGION: France / Bordeaux / Médoc / Pauillac
AGEING: Aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for 18 – 24 months
GUARDING POTENTIAL: Enjoy now or will cellar well up to 20 years
SERVE: Serve at 16 – 18ºC
CRITICS SCORES: 95/JS, 93-95/WE, 94/JD, 94/D, 94+/RP, 94/V
VIVINO: Average 4.4 ★★★★✰

___________________________________________________

Les Forts de Latour | 2nd wine of | Château Latour

The ORIGINES
Les Forts de Latour takes its name from an historic plot in the « Enclos ». The wine was first labelled with this name in 1966 and constant work on developing its quality has resulted in its achieving the level of a Médoc Grand Cru Classé.

The TERROIR
The origin of this wine is threefold:
• The edge of the Enclos.
• Some plots that could be used in the Grand Vin may finally be included in the Forts de Latour blend, depending on how their quality is judged during the blending tastings.
• Plots located outside the Enclos, in Cru Classé areas of Pauillac:

These consist on the one hand, of plots such as Piñada, Petit Batailley and St. Anne, which have belonged to the estate for more than a century and whose vines benefit from a high average age (around 40 years), synonymous with quality. And on the other hand, of a seven hectare island of vines in the commune of Artigues on gravel terraces, which was acquired in 2005. Plus a handful of plots (about 5 hectares) acquired in 2012. These various blocks of plots present very different terroirs, thereby offering Forts de Latour more varied characteristics and flavour profiles depending on the vintage.

The STYLE
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.