Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac, 2020
As with the 2019 Latour, we were somewhat taken aback by the Fort 2020. We were expecting a large-scale, opaque style, however, we were charmed by this super-refined, textbook Pauillac. Opening with a seductive bouquet of pure cassis and flowers, boysenberries, and gravelly minerals, there’s a smooth segue to a refined, juicy palate of pure hedgerow fruit, damsons, a touch of vanilla and tobacco and delicious red berries. Really refined, pure and long; this is surprisingly approachable with beautifully refined tannins. One is left with sumptuous red and black fruits and fine minerals on the lingering finish. Excellent.
critic reviews
The 2020 Les Forts de Latour has a fresh, delineated, precise and focused bouquet of graphite-infused black fruit. The oak is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit, fine depth and ample grip. This builds momentum toward a structured finish, with a dash of spice lingering on the aftertaste. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
The 2020 Les Forts de Latour is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26.5% Merlot and 3.5% Petit Verdot, incorporating a 64-hectoliter tank of Merlot that would normally have been included in the Grand Vin but which didn't fit with this year's blend. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of minty cassis, plums, licorice, pipe tobacco and vanilla pod, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety, with terrific depth at the core and a somewhat more textural, granular profile than the suave 2019.
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26.5% Merlot, and 3.5% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple colored. The nose is very closed to begin, slowly offering glimpses at crushed blackberries, mulberries, and cassis notes, followed by hints of aniseed, black truffles, and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate is very tightly wound with loads of vibrant black fruit and earthy layers and a firm, grainy backbone, finishing long with a compelling lift.