65.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.9% Merlot, 2.3% Petit Verdot

Vinous.com: 95, Wine Advocate: 94+

Decanter: Smells lovely, really aromatic and shining out of the glass, forward and expressive with clarity and precision on the nose full of red fruit and floral scents. Sleek and crisp, this has energy and lifeforce, I love the shape and straightforwardness but it’s the texture that’s so captivating - slightly firm but dense and chalky tannins give the bounce and cushioning on the palate while the fruit is lean and well defined. So well worked, feels careful, controlled, refined and polished. Sophisticated and just so seamless. Extremely young right now, coiled and tense still, direct from start to finish, it needs to slow down and soften and relax. Lovely pure and perfumed red fruits raspberry and blueberries alongside a slightly sharp, bitter grapefruit edge to the tannins as well as graphite and slate which lingers on the tongue and gives the mighty grip that doesn't let go. Stylish and enjoyable. 64 PIT, 6.7% press wine. 45.4% production. Harvest 11 September to 4 October. Technical director Hélène Genin. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Wine Advocate: The 2019 Les Forts de Latour opens in the glass with aromas of cassis, wild berries, sweet spices, cigar wrapper and a deft application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and velvety, it’s a deep, muscular wine with rich tannins, lively acids and a long, resonant finish. As readers will know, it mostly derives from dedicated parcels located further inland from Latour's famous "Enclos," next to Château Haut-Batailley. It's a fabulous effort that would clearly merit classified growth status in its own right were the 1855 classification ever to be revised.