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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 109 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by hargy on 4/23/2024 & rated 90 points: certainly mature and with a distinct sweetness, this shows the heat of the year and really is not to my taste although clearly well made (149 views) | | | Tasted by Darbus123 on 4/11/2024 & rated 93 points: Lacked some elegance and a slightly hot finish, but otherwise very enjoyable. Nice tertiary notes, plenty of chocolate & tobacco. (185 views) | | | Tasted by Rpacker on 12/27/2023 flawed bottle: Corks weak (467 views) | | | Tasted by remyworldpeace on 7/16/2023 & rated 92 points: Tasted blind. St Julien? The least detailed/complex of the trio (drank alongside 2003 Pavillon Rouge and 2003 Carruades) (1086 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 5/7/2023 & rated 93 points: Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
TN: Ripe dark fruited nose. Some herbal notes. Medium expressive but inviting. On the palate ripe dark red fruit, some caramel, roasted notes, a nice herbal component too as well as a bit of minerality. Overall with a good balance. Not the softest tannins but still with good quality, quite fresh and with medium length. Pleasant, although not too complex. When revealed, I was positively surprised – although the bigger Latour is known to be one of the wines of the vintages. Well deserved 93+pts.
Decanting: A short decant should be enough. This was good from the go.
Group average: 92.3 pts
Group rank: Shared 8th out of 29 reds (2292 views) | | | Tasted by drjb on 3/24/2023 & rated 92 points: This wine was a little perplexing opening somewhat dull with classic blackcurrant, dark plums and cedar but without any lift and complexity. The colour showed a surprising degree of bricking at the edges and the palate while correct and without blemish lacked any excitement. After a night under argon the second half of the bottle showed more interest and a lovely touch of stoniness and walnuts on the palate which also showed more defined structure and drive. Bottle variation or 2003 entropy ? (1243 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 3/20/2023 & rated 92 points: Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note:
Forest floor and mushrooms, dark cherry fruit, dried herbs and black tea with a floral overlay. The balance on the palate was leaning towards acidity, but the tannin did come across reasonably soft. In sum, a beautifully aged nose but with limited follow-through on the palate. This was a crowd favorite in terms of hedonism. (1665 views) | | | Tasted by ragtop on 12/25/2022 & rated 93 points: Nice purple with a hint of brown. Musty fruity nose. Drinking well now. Will keep 5 more years, but will not likely improve (1389 views) | | | Tasted by jamesabdavis on 11/27/2022: Classic claret nose dominated by gorgeous sweet cassis fruit, with cigar box and a nice menthol note.
Rich on the palate, ripe but with no sense of heaviness, a gorgeous texture. Acidity and tannin really nicely integrated.
Lacking the complexity of the grand vin but absolutely delicious. (1116 views) | | | Tasted by hargy on 11/26/2022 & rated 91 points: certainly mature, this is no blockbuster and is a surprisingly gentle wine - probably at its peak but no rush (924 views) | | | Tasted by VincentMorey on 4/9/2022: Really grateful to the person who shared this with me tonight. Surprisingly no sediment when poured out and all were concentrated in one area near the neck of the inside of the bottle. The fruit aromas took the course of dinner to move towards the foreground and were a bit muted, but the signature aged Pauillac elements were all there. A very enjoyable wine, that really could have used an hour to 2 of decanting to get the fruit more into the foreground for a better range. Although by the time the bottle was almost finished, whatever residuals were in the glass showed some interesting strawberry notes (reminding me of a post 2 hour decant and at the end of a 2 hour meal for a Grand Puy Lacoste 2005). If only dinner lasted longer... this wine has so much more room to develop. (1918 views) | | | Tasted by ledocq on 12/31/2021: I am irked. If you had asked me whether I wanted to spend money on a 2003 Pauillac, without thinking I would have declined - 2003 Bordeaux has a reputation for being raisiny and prune-ish. But the tasting notes on this are pretty damned exciting, so I bought a bottle and, damn. Eveen though the nose had a nice depth to it, the taste was raisiny. Prunish. Maybe storage issues, maybe a bad bottle, but this was a disappointment. Not scored and I will not carry my sulk into 2022. Happy New Year. (2253 views) | | | Tasted by hkbob on 9/15/2021 & rated 94 points: Clear medium garnet with lightening towards the rim, this is now at its peak of maturity. Classic Pauillac nose. The wine had a creamy texture thanks to fully resolved tannins and took about an hour in the decanter to really deliver the goods. Lots of cigar and cedar notes on a sweet medium-bodied frame. I would recommend drinking bottles sooner rather than later to capture it at its best. Lovely tonight. (2365 views) | | | Tasted by wineappellation on 9/12/2021 & rated 94 points: Deep ruby core garnet rim. Thrilling Pauillac graphite, lead pencil, ripe blackberry, warm soil, cigar bix, cedar, sweet cloves, tarry minerals, smoky tobacco and some undergrowth.
Medium body with some grippy ripe tannins. It is condensed and so deep. A lengthy finish wjth savoury, stony, graphite, tobacco all mingling, so transparent. So refined, impeccably balanced and so Latour. (2264 views) | | | Tasted by phynes on 1/1/2021 & rated 95 points: Drank the Forts de Latour 03 alongside the Gaja Sperss 96 on New Years Eve 2020. Two fabulous wines to wash away the memories of a very tough year fior the world. The Gaja was more linear, balanced and “correct”. The FdL was more opulent and hedonistic. Both have life left in them, especially the Sperss despite being the older of the two. 95 points each and very grateful to have had the opportunity to enjoy them both. (2937 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 11/25/2020 & rated 93 points: I wasn't sure which vintage of Les Forts to open tonight, but I decided to go with 2003 because I felt it could stand up to the 14oz. A5 Wagyu strip steak that I seared. The sweetness and almost melt in your mouth creaminess of the meat paired with a fully mature Bordeaux from one of the best wine producers in the world was magical. This wine is open for business and at its peak right now. Decanted for 90 minutes and it was good to go! While not as grand as the Grand Vin, it still has the Latour nobility in the glass. (2525 views) | | | Tasted by mblatino on 6/20/2020 & rated 95 points: Dark red with beginning lighter edges.
The nose is extremely inviting. Super potent. Pencil led, sour cherries, red fruit and terroir. Tobacco.
On the palate it is tight but starten to loosen.
Great acidity, fresh red berries, green veg and grippy but harmonious tannins.
Not as complex as big brother Latour, but a superb glass from a strong vintage. (1417 views) | | | Tasted by grossie on 5/19/2020 & rated 88 points: Bold wine with a slightly charred character. Not quite round or profound enough at this time although there is no overt flaw. I wonder if the next bottle will have more to it or if this is starting to decline. (2652 views) | | | Tasted by tzelmer on 4/13/2020 & rated 94 points: This was outstanding. Decanted for one hour. It was singing right away. Started with blackberries, plum, and liquorice. Second glass, the mid palate expanded and the acidity and finish expanded, more to the red fruit side. The last glass, some smoky, tobacco, cedars notes began to emerge. It was like the wine aged 10 years in the glass over 4 hours. (2566 views) | | | Tasted by phynes on 4/11/2020 & rated 95 points: Five years since I have tasted this wine, and it has evolved a lot. I think it is in a fabulous place just now with real shades of the Grand Vin. Hints of caramel, chocolate, burnt fruit and liquorice. Super well-balanced with a medium power/medium finesse profile. Three bottles left from a case that I bought en primeur and I look forward to enjoying them over the next five years (2534 views) | | | Tasted by Melc88 on 11/1/2019 & rated 92 points: Aged in all respects, appearance, nose and taste. However, after some breathing a freshness came through. Blackberry, tropical fruit, a slight acidity, stewed black plum on the nose. Plum, warm spice, papua, banana, light citrus and prune on the palate. Aged, smooth, silk tannins and acidity. A subtle dryness on the palate. Delicious (2892 views) | | | Tasted by Helenachuck on 10/21/2019 & rated 94 points: Maturing red color, red to red brick at the rim, opaque center, clear. Nose is complex and substantial - cassis, leather, graphite, meaty to almost gamy, menthol notes, dense and rich. The palate is both dense and fine; there is both purity of fruit and layers of flavor. Cassis, some saline, berries and cherries, hint of plum skin, and a long lingering berry finish. Mature now, life left, fine wine. (2861 views) | | | Tasted by hargy on 6/12/2019 & rated 91 points: lovely wine which certainly has some way to go - no rush at all (2893 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 11/28/2018 & rated 95 points: Chateau Latour - 30 year vertical (1983-2010) tasted blind (Switzerland): Nose is closed, coaxing aromas of red fruit and dark fruit, forest floor. Good stuffing on the palate here. A very complete Bordeaux. (6165 views) | | | Tasted by europat55 on 8/3/2018 & rated 92 points: Nose: A- Palate: B++/A-
My #3, Group's #1 (53 pts). Tasted blind. (3990 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/21/2013)
(Ch Latour, Les Forts de Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, March 2013 (3/1/2013)
(Château Latour Les Forts de Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/1/2010)
(Ch Latour, Les Forts de Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Rachel Shaughnessy
JancisRobinson.com (7/7/2009)
(Ch Latour, Les Forts de Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (7/7/2009)
(Ch Latour, Les Forts de Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2007, Issue #18
(Les Forts de Latour) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2005, IWC Issue #120
(Chateau Latour Les Forts de Latour Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/7/2005)
(Ch Latour, Les Forts de Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2004, IWC Issue #114
(Chateau Latour Les Forts de Latour Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and The World of Fine Wine and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Les Forts de Latour Producer website | Read more about Les Forts de Latour
Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Pauillac Read more detailed information about Pauillac Looking full onto the river from the earliest days, with an important port activity, traces of which go back to ancient times (shipment of bronze as long ago as 2000 B.C.), Pauillac's life has always been intimately linked to the history of wine. Although port activities were at the root of its prosperity, Pauillac had to wait until the eighteenth century when Bordeaux ceased to hold its privileged position to become a wine port. The town then became the natural outlet for the wine production of neighbouring cantons before reaching its zenith in a period when the vineyards were exceptionally prosperous.
The characteristic of the Pauillac terroir is its exceptional relief: the many undulating ridges make it unique morphologically speaking. Highly favourable conditions facilitate the dissection of the layer of gravel. This thin, Garonne gravel from whose very poverty springs great richness, has an extremely effective natural drainage.
With their velvet red colour with a hint of amber, the wines from the Pauillac appellation, full-bodied and rich in tannin, are vigorous. Powerful when young, their aromas of red fruits (black-currant, raspberry) or flowers (violets, roses, irises) melt with the passing of time into a bouquet which is long in the mouth.
Rich and complex, the wines of Pauillac deserve to be laid down for a little longer.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Pauillac appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Pauillac and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cissac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Sauveur, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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