Wine Advisor
Les Forts de Latour 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
A blend of 65.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 0.8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple in color and strides confidently out of the glass with classic notes of plum preserves, warm cassis and pencil shavings with nuances of mulberries, pencil lead, Indian spices and forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate packs a lot of fruit into a very elegant, tightly knit palate, delivering expressive blackberry and spicy flavors with a firm frame of grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long with a peppery kick.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Les Forts de Latour features beautiful blackcurrants, redcurrants and kirsch overtones with touches of bay leaves, lavender, tobacco, tilled soil, cedar chest and red roses. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy and refreshing with a great intensity of flavors—quite muscular and densely packed—with a nice long, earth and mineral-laced finish.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Aromas of minty berries, cassis and plums mingle with hints of pencil shavings to introduce the 2017 Les Forts de Latour, a medium to full-bodied, suave and elegant wine with attractive depth and purity of fruit, supple tannins and a bright, precise profile. This is a classy Les Forts that will offer a broad drinking window. As readers will remember, it mostly derives from dedicated parcels located further inland from Latour's famous "Enclos," next to Château Haut-Batailley.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Powerful and dark in the glass, the 2017 Les Forts de Latour is super-impressive. Black cherry, plum, spice, chocolate and leather are just some of the many aromas and flavors that flesh out as this ample, heady Pauillac shows off its considerable personality. Medium in body, yet with terrific depth and substance, the Forts de Latour is an absolute winner in 2017.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Les Forts de Latour is a dark, sensual wine. There is a real sense of weight and gravitas to the Forts de Latour. Graphite, smoke, grilled herb and menthol notes add to an impression of darkness in this deceptively medium-bodied Pauillac. What a gorgeous and promising wine the 2017 is. The blend is 65.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 0.8% Cabernet Franc.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Les Forts de Latour conveys airiness on the nose, reflecting the relatively lightest vintage in recent years. Graphite and sous-bois infuse black fruit, offering a slightly welcome herbaceous/undergrowth tincture. The palate is very well-balanced and will appeal to those seeking a sleeker, lighter style of Pauillac. Not lean by any account, but this Les Fort de Latour is understated, with appealing black pepper and tobacco notes emerging on the finish. Fine.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Les Forts de Latour has a stupendous bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and oyster shell aromas, very well defined and focused and to be honest, much more intense than I was expecting. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, so elegant and poised with delicate touches of graphite and cracked black pepper towards the pixelated finish. What an outstanding, over-performing Les Forts de Latour.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Les Forts de Latour has a crisp, focused bouquet with blackberry, graphite and cedar, a little tighter than the 2016 last year, a little airier. The palate is medium-bodied underpinned by very refined and supple tannin that lend this a silky texture. I can envisage this being a more approachable Les Forts de Latour compared to recent vintages, with a lovely sense of mineralité that blossoms on the finish. Excellent.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Les Forts de Latour conveys airiness on the nose, reflecting the relatively lightest vintage in recent years. Graphite and sous-bois infuse black fruit, offering a slightly welcome herbaceous/undergrowth tincture. The palate is very well-balanced and will appeal to those seeking a sleeker, lighter style of Pauillac. Not lean by any account, but this Les Fort de Latour is understated, with appealing black pepper and tobacco notes emerging on the finish. Fine.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is really minerally with crushed stones and dark berries. Some licorice. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a beautiful, tight and focused finish. Such energy, delivered down a straight line.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Juicy and spicy with fresh tobacco, redcurrants and crushed stone character. Medium to full body. Medium velvety tannins and a delicious finish. Will age beautifully as well. Better after 2026.
About the Producer
Latour was a jointly held lord's domain until the end of the 16th century, At that time, the property was not entirely covered by vines and yet production largely exceeded requirements. There was no proper storage for the wine and it had to be drunk within the year. The estate remained in the hands of the Mullet family until the late 17th century, and while direct use of the land gradually replaced the leasing system, the wine-making situation changed very little. In the early 18th century, England's aristocracy and wealthy middle classes developed refined tastes, particularly for wine, from Bordeaux, Oporto, Jerez and other southern vineyards. Wine exports had been restricted by various blockades imposed by the wars, but now enjoyed a period of relative freedom and trade with Bordeaux grew rapidly. As a result of this flourishing trade, the estate gradually came to specialise in wine production, with 38 hectares of vines in 1759 and then 47 hectares by 1794.
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Package Size
1 x 1.5L1 x 3L1 x 6L12 x 37.5cl
