Les Forts de Latour Pauillac 2017

This bold, structured wine is packed with blackberry fruits and ripe tannins. Freshness and structure from the Cabernet Sauvignon are very present, giving a crisp edge to the solid backbone. This is a wine for aging. Don't drink before 2023.

Bright and fresh, featuring floral, cassis and plum aromas and flavors allied to a sleek, iron-tinged frame. Racy tension through the finish lets the fruit play out while the minerality blossoms. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2038.

Aromas of minty berries, cassis and plums mingle with hints of pencil shavings to introduce the 2017 Les Forts de Latour, a medium to full-bodied, suave and elegant wine with attractive depth and purity of fruit, supple tannins and a bright, precise profile. This is a classy Les Forts that will offer a broad drinking window. As readers will remember, it mostly derives from dedicated parcels located further inland from Latour's famous "Enclos," next to Château Haut-Batailley.

Showing consistently, the 2017 Les Forts De Latour has a classic cedar pencil, tobacco, and mineral-driven core that certainly has some textbook Château Latour style. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, elegant, and balanced, it has fine tannins and outstanding length. It has closed down slightly since I tasted it on release and needs just 2-4 years of bottle age to hit its prime time. It will evolve for 20+ years.

The 2017 Les Forts de Latour conveys airiness on the nose, reflecting the relarively lightest vintage in recent years. Graphite and sous-bois infuse black fruit, offering a slightly welcome herbaceous/undergrowth tincture. The palate is very well-balanced and will appeal to those seeking a sleeker, lighter style of Pauillac. Not lean by any account, but this Les Fort de LAtor is understated, with appealing black pepper and tobacco notes emerging on the finish. Fine.