2015 Les Forts de Latour

The 2015 Les Forts de Latour has a lovely nose, with very pure black cherry, raspberry, violet and light cassis scents unfolding with every swirl. The palate is medium-bodied with plush tannins and a velvety smooth texture but the acidity keeps this poised. It has impressive precision and judicious spiciness on the finish. This is a sophisticated and enticing Pauillac. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners.

Charm and precision, slate scrape texture, finely boned tannins that disguise a punch through the mid palate, an enjoyable Les Forts that is ready to go. Good quality, not the intensity of the 2016, but keeps the concentrated cassis and cocoa bean signature that makes this such a brilliant wine. Hélène Genin technical director.

Composed of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.9% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Les Forts de Latour needs a fair bit of air to unlock a profound, powerhouse nose of blackcurrant cordial, boysenberries, plum preserves and dark chocolate, with suggestions of Chinese five spice, clove oil, violets and crushed rocks. The palate packs an absolute flavor wallop, bursting with rich, ripe black fruits and loads of spicy sparks, while framed by beautifully plush tannins, finishing long and minerally. Not at all heavy, on the contrary, the Les Forts is both expansive AND tantalizingly refreshing. In terms of evolution, it has barely budged since I last tasted it in 2017. While it's drinking very well right now, it easily has a good 20 years of cellaring ahead, maybe more. Impressive.