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.
96 points, James Suckling (Feb 2019)
The 2016 Les Forts de Latour is superb, unwinding in the glass with notions of blackcurrants, wild berries, sweet loamy soil, cigar wrapper and English walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it’s concentrated and tightly wound, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins. This is an impeccably balanced, utterly classical Forts de Latour worth a special effort to seek out.
95 points, William Kelley, Wine Advocate (Mar 2022)
The winner of the best second wine in the vintage goes to Château Latour. Their 2016 Les Forts de Latour is a match for just about anything out there. It shares its bigger siblings stature and class, with a sensational perfume of cedarwood, black currants, graphite, and lead pencil. Seamless, ultra-pure, and medium to full-bodied, it too needs a good 5-7 years of bottle age and will keep for 2-3 decades.
95 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Feb 2019)
The 2016 Les Forts de Latour has a gorgeous bouquet, extremely pure and floral, veins of blue fruit, cassis permeating the blackberry fruit. The palate is beautifully balanced, again, very saline and a little spicier than I expected. There is a veneer of black fruit that makes it seem quite approachable, yet the tannins and backbone are there behind it. This is a superb Les Forts de Latour. Frédéric Engerer opined that it will drink in two or three years, though its substance and complexity suggests that those with the wherewithal to cellar this Les Fort will be amply rewarded.
95 points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Mar 2022)
Very iron fist in a velvet glove,” commented winemaker Hélčne 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%.
95 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Mar 2022)
A bit fleshier and more caressing than a typical Pauillac, this has flavors of warm fig, currant and blackberry preserves inlaid with charcoal and smoldering tobacco notes. There's grip for sure and a twinge of warm cast iron on the finish, but the fruit detail keeps the upper hand throughout, showcasing the purity on the finish. Very, very solid. Best from 2023 through 2035.
94 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (2019)
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