Forts de Latour 2008

Caramel and flowers and currants and berries on the nose. Full and velvety with a good density and lots of fruity elegance and balance. Very pretty. Give it four years of bottle age please.

Tasted ex-chateau and single blind in Southwold. The Les Forts de Latour 2008 has a vivacious, almost exotic bouquet with macerated dark cherries, kirsch, dried orange peel and a hint of mint. The palate has a sweet, succulent entry with good substance, a little chewy in the mouth with a little more extraction than its peers. It has an attractive, almost weightless finish. Very fine. Tasted January 2012.

A strong effort, this 2008 exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, more minerality than the 2010 and hints of cedarwood, black currants, underbrush and forest floor. This round, generous blend of 66.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33.5% Merlot should easily last for two decades or more.