Producer | LES FORTS DE LATOUR |
---|---|
Country | FRANCE |
Type | STILL RED |
AOC | PAUILLAC |
Vintage | 2014 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Score | WA 93 |
Packing Size | 6W |
Les Forts de Latour is the second wine of Château Latour, a First Growth (Premier Cru Classé) estate in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux’s Médoc region. Introduced in 1966, it’s one of the most prestigious second wines in Bordeaux, often rivaling the quality of many châteaux’s grand vins. Unlike the grand vin (Château Latour), which comes exclusively from the L’Enclos vineyard, Les Forts de Latour draws from a broader selection of estate grapes, offering a more approachable yet still age-worthy expression of the Latour style. The 2014 vintage is widely regarded as an outstanding year for Bordeaux, and this wine reflects the vintage’s richness, balance, and potential. The 2014 Les Forts de Latour consists of 71.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28.6% Merlot. This vintage excludes Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, leaning on Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and Merlot for suppleness.
The 2014 Les Forts de Latour is a standout second wine, blending Pauillac’s classic power with the vintage’s elegance and freshness. It’s ideal for drinking now or cellaring for future enjoyment. Deep ruby with a garnet rim. Elegant and complex, featuring blackberry, cassis, and red plum, with notes of graphite, violets, spice (cedar, licorice), and a touch of earthiness or minerality. Medium to full-bodied, with a refined structure. It offers ripe, velvety tannins, crisp acidity, and a concentrated core of black and red fruit, layered with savory graphite and spice. The finish is long, precise, and slightly grippy, with a mineral edge that hints at further development. Approachable now with decanting, it’s poised to evolve beautifully for 15–25 years (through 2035–2040), gaining aromatic depth.