Forts de Latour 2018

A solid and steely red with lots of blackcurrant and blueberry character. Medium-to full-bodied and polished, fine tannins. Flavorful finish.

The 2018 Les Forts de Latour is made up of 65.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 0.4% Petit Verdot, with 14.2% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a fair bit of coaxing to reveal slowly emerging notes of wild blueberries, crème de cassis, candied violets, cinnamon stick and fragrant soil with nuances of black tea, yeast extract and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, rich and densely packed with layer upon layer of earth and floral accents, it is framed by very firm, very ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing with a very long, very purely fruited finish.

This is pretty serious and will take its time to come round with more evident austerity than many second wines in Pauillac in this vintage, no doubt a reflection of the high amount of tannins, but it’s clearly extremely good quality with real bite and attitude. It’s reflective of the estate’s first wine in 2018 for sure, and a whiff of 2010 about it, showing bounce and juice but just takes its time to come through.

The 2018 Les Forts de Latour is a gorgeous wine, and also a big step up from the Pauillac. Dark cherry, plum, espresso, menthol, licorice, spice and grilled herbs all develop effortlessly. Rich and pliant, with notable textural depth, Forts de Latour expresses the essence of the vintage beautifully. The firm tannins need time to settle down, but that should not be an issue by the time Latour decides to release the wine.