Chateau Latour - Les Forts de Latour 2015

JAMES SUCKLING: "Aromas of blackcurrants, sweet tobacco, fresh herbs, licorice and cigar box follow through to a full body with tannins that are totally integrated and ultra, ultra fine, framing the wine and highlighting the subtle, pretty fruit. All about grace and beauty. Keeps getting better. Drink or hold."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

DECANTER: "On the nose you get a full array of floral aromatics, and a gorgeous exuberance. The gourmet edge that is never far away from the surface in the 2015 vintage is very much in play, along with touches of truffle, cigar box and an earthy openness even at six years old. A smoked caramel note comes in on the end, as does a hit of mouthwatering salinity. It's not as intense as Forts in vintages like 2010 or 2016 but it has an ease to it that is hugely appealing, and can be drunk from now and for at least another 15 years. 0.5% Cabernet Franc completes the blend (the last vintage to contain even a slice of this grape, as it has now been pulled up). 40% of overall production. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038"

JEB DUNNUCK: "The true second wine of the estate is the 2015 Les Forts De Latour and it's slightly more Cabernet dominated with 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot, and then less than one percent each of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This ripe, sunny vintage delivered loads of terrific wines and the 2015 reveals a vivid purple/opaque color as well as fabulous cassis and jammy currant fruits intermixed with lots of cedarwood, leafy herbs, earth, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and nicely structured, it has a wealth of fruit, building yet sweet tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is a stunning Les Forts de Latour that can be drunk today or cellared for 20-25 years or more."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, schwarze Beeren, ein Hauch von Gewürznelken, floral, etwas Hibiskus im Hintergrund. Kraftvoll, straffe Tannine, zarte vegetale Nuancen, fordernde Tannine, wirkt am Gaumen noch ziemlich kantig, etwas Mokka und Röstaromen im Finale."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Chocolate coated currants, cigar box, flowers and tobacco leaf come through easily on the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium/full-bodied, concentrated, firm, fresh, juicy and lively, with a creamy textured, sweet, aristocratic, Pauillac, red currant packed finish. This should age and evolve for another 15-20 more years."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "There is a velvet touch to this smooth, rounded wine. With some dark tannins as well as blackberry fruits, it is rich with some concentration. At the same time, the acidity shoots through the wine to give a really fruity aftertaste."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep polished crimson. High toned and super-classy on the nose. More zip and energy than the Pauillac de Ch Latour 2016. Very mineral and sumptuous. What's not to like? It has such breadth and ripeness that you could certainly drink it tonight. There's an attractive iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove quality about it. Positively throbs with energy. A little saline quality on the end. Another wine with an admirably persistent finish. All that stony minerality plus a bit more flesh than usual. Great stuff! I don't see any of the green notes I detected at the Southwold tasting two years ago. Though the tannins on the end are still very slightly drying."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur- Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Verhaltenes Bouquet, blaubeerige Noten, wenig Ausstrahlung im Moment. Im Gaumen eher schlank mit feiner Rasse, Zedernaromen, heller Tabak, Leder und Pfeffernoten."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Very pure and focused, with black currant and black cherry fruit flavors showing lovely freshness, while light graphite, singed black tea leaf and violet hints check in through the silky finish. Best from 2019 through 2032."