Forts de Latour 2009

Possibly the best second wine ever made at Latour (and I love how the 1982 is drinking at age 30), the 2009 Les Forts de Latour is composed of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot blended with a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot, and finished at 13.5% alcohol. Juicy notes of creme de cassis, licorice, camphor, smoke and crushed rocks are followed by a rich, unctuously textured, thick, juicy, exceptionally pure, long wine. This beauty will be at its finest in several years and should keep for three decades. Proprietor Francois Pinault and his director, Frederic Engerer, have pulled out all the stops to produce one of the most monumental Latour’s ever made.

The aromas are so floral, with currants and blueberries as well. Succulent. Full and very balanced, with super velvety tannins and a long and lovely finish. Frederic Engerer, president of Latour, uses the word “succulent” to describe it. He’s right. I like the word gorgeous as well. Try in 2018, but hard not to drink.

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Les Forts de Latour has a very fragrant, floral bouquet with lifted blackberry, raspberry cheesecake, vanilla and graphite on the nose. The palate is full-bodied with succulent ripe black fruit on the entry. It is fleshier than its peers, with very good weight and a smooth, rounded, velvety finish that is seeking a little more precision and tension. Tasted January 2013.