Forts de Latour - Pauillac 2014

Vinous

93

byNeal Martinthe4/2/2024

The 2014 Les Forts de Latour has one of the most impressive aromatics amongst the Pauillac, with blackberry, cedar and cassis notes. A touch of pencil lead comes through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. It's fresh and saline, with brisk graphite-infused black fruit towards the persistent, fleshy, silky finish. Outstanding for a Deuxième Vin. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

Wine Advocate

93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/5/2020

The 2014 Les Forts de Latour is a blend of 71.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28.6% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal expanding scents of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums and boysenberries with suggestions of wood smoke, fragrant earth, cast-iron pan and charcuterie plus a faint waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, the earthy/savory palate has loads of lively black fruit with a refreshing line and firm, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.

Decanter.com

93

byJane Ansonthe2/26/2020

Highly enjoyable, has gorgeous elegance and freshness, and is showing better right now than the 2015 Pauillac de Latour. Extremely fresh, hedgerow and cassis bud backed up by richer seams of liquorice and blackberry. Not yet ready but you can see that with a stiff wind and a good carafe, you could get there in the next few years. Tight black spice uncurls to show carefully-delivered smoked cedar on the finish.

Vinous

93

byNeal Martinthe3/28/2018

The 2014 Les Forts de Latour has a smudged, quite opulent bouquet with lavish red fruit, leather and undergrowth scents, more forward than I would expect from a wine this youthful. The palate is medium-bodied with soft tannin and a little chewy in the mouth. Like the nose, this Les Forts de Latour feels unusually decadent for the vintage with a sweet finish that needs to muster more reserve and breeding. It is not unlikeable, quite the opposite, but it needs to develop more Pauillac characteristics. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93

byJeb Dunnuckthe11/30/2017

The second wine of the estate is the 2014 Les Forts De Latour and this beauty is better than most estate grand vin. Made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, this straight up classic Pauillac is loaded with notions of red and black currants, lead pencil shavings, roasted coffee, graphite, and Asian spices. Deep, medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated, and layered, it’s a seriously good wine that’s going to continue drinking beautifully for two to three decades.

Jamessuckling.com

94

byJames Sucklingthe2/16/2017

Glorious aromatics with currants, flowers, stones and light mushrooms. Medium to full body and fine tannins that are long and polished. Super linear, structured and long. Drink in 2019.

Wine Spectator

92

byJames Molesworththe2/8/2017

Offers a core of pure cassis and blackberry fruit, with mouthwatering streaks of graphite and anise. Racy-edged, featuring ample grip buried through the finish. Reveals a violet echo for good measure. Textbook. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,022 cases made.

Vinous

93

byAntonio Gallonithe2/6/2017

The 2014 Forts de Latour has turned out beautifully. Pliant, supple and open-knit, the wine is super-expressive, even at this early stage. There is lovely depth to the dark red cherry, plum and leather nuances, all in the vivid, articulate style that is found in the best 2014s. Best of all, the 2014 Forts de Latour will drink well with minimal cellaring.

Le Point

15,5-16

byJacques Dupontthe5/21/2015

Fruits noirs, épices, bouche tendue, fraîche, fruits rouges, cerise, élégante, tanins fins, relevé. 

Vinous

90-93

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2015

The 2014 Forts de Latour is very pretty. Sweet floral and herbal notes meld into a core of expressive dark red cherry and plum in a supple, open-knit wine endowed with superb purity. Here the Cabernet Sauvignon-inflected aromatics and flavors are super-expressive. The finessed, silky finish is striking.

The Wine Cellar Insider

90-93

byJeff Levethe5/5/2015

With silky freshness and soft tannins, this wine delivers a mouthful of ripe black currant and is true blue to the distinct nature of Pauillac. The wine was made from a blend of 71.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28.6% Merlot that reached 13.01% alcohol. 90-93 Pts

Wine Advocate

90-92

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2015

The Les Forts de Latour 2014 is a blend of 71.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28.6% Merlot that represents 40.1% of the production. Now this has a very perfumed bouquet, almost Margaux-like in style with wilted violet petals complementing the fresh black cherries and graphite aromas. The definition here is impressive. The palate is medium-bodied with a strong thead of pencil lead, crisp acidity, a dash of black pepper towards the finish. It is actually reminiscent of the Lynch Bages '14 tasted on the previous visit. Good persistency in the mouth, this is a fine Les Forts de Latour.

Asian Palate

91

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2015

Dark fruit with firm tannins - a wine to keep and age for 4 to 6 years before approaching rather than drinking too young. The tannins and acidity are fairly high here with good concentration. Tightly wound flavors with good intensity in 2014.

Jancis Robinson

17,5

byJancis Robinsonthe4/17/2015

40% production. No biodynamics for the classic Forts parcels. Our sample taken from new barrel. 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot. Lively healthy crimson. Great confident attack. Very firm and sinewy framework. Deep and dense with some elderberry and polished tannins. Great energy and vibrancy. A little more like the old style than the grand vin. More press wine than Latour.   13.01%Drink 2023-2038

Decanter.com

17,75

bySteven Spurrierthe4/17/2015

Lots of depth and very finely-grained fruit tannins. Real class and terrific purity and vigour, a wine of great breed. Drink: 2020-2035 (92)

Jamessuckling.com

93-94

byJames Sucklingthe4/10/2015

This is very Latour in style. It is structured and muscular and not easy – yet approachable and muscular. Full body, chewy polished tannins and a long and intense finish. Impressive.

timatkin.com

94

byTim Atkin MWthe4/7/2015

René Gabriel

17

byRené Gabrielthe4/1/2015

Sattes Purpur-Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Recht tiefgründiges Bouquet, zeigt jetzt schon Trüffelkonturen, dunkle Pflaumenhaut, sowie etwas Tabak. Dichter Gaumen, fleischig, das Extrakt wirkt kompakt und hat eine blaubis schwarzbeerige Aromatik, das Aroma ist nicht besonders druckvoll und trotzdem kommen die wunderschönen Cabernets gut durch, im Nachklang einefein kernige Note von pikanten Kernen zeigend. Das gibt zwar Rasse, geniert aber auch eine gewisse Tannin- Säureverbindung im Finale. 17/20 2022 – 2038

Wine Spectator

91-94

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2015

Shows lovely purity, with racy raspberry and cassis notes. Slightly less floral and more velvety in feel than the basic Pauillac bottling, with a longer, brighter finishand a more prominent iron edge. Exhibits very fine acidity. Tasted non-blind.