November 23, 2023 - A delight! Translucent dark ruby colour! Splendid nose pure black currants, freshly ground roasted coffee beans, some dark chocolate and a hint of spicy dried herbs, it is that pure and simple! The palate is rather silky-smooth, a little sweet and leathery, with pure black fruits, and a medium finish! Well made, no need to hurry!
September 24, 2023 - This bottle was a little bit over it's top. The nose is subtile and carries a lot of tertiary notes, leather and tobacco but is very closed. We drank it in a slightly smaller red wine glasses to help the wine give it's bouquet. The taste is really extraordinary, refined and balanced. The tannins are completely integrated in the wine and de balance and the aftertaste lasts long. It was a treat to drink this, if you have this in your cellar, drink it now.
August 3, 2023 - Drinking well. Soft purple colour, deep earthy barny aroma. First taste is subtle opening up into a more complex middle and quick finish, medium linger. High Tannic, leather, hint of chocolate and big oaky barnyard finish. Really liked it, and great drink.
July 25, 2023 - Gilm Sommf) im Flight mit dem 03 Poyferré, den er nicht erreicht, etwas schlanker und robuster… fein und reif
September 28, 2021 - Its time has come. I opened this bottle twelve hours in advance lunch. Pristine cork. Suddenly time has stopped. An aristocratic, serious and masculine ride for everyone. Intoxicating aromas of dusty cherries, prunes, flesh, black pepper, withered roses or evaporation from wet soil. Pure elegance that comes along on the palate with a velvety texture, an outstanding central heart structure and an extraordinary mint length that extends to the aftertaste without a hint of bitterness. It is not excessively dry by the way. Wonderful and truly deep. Bottle of thought, word, deed, and unfortunately for many, omission. The real thing of the same vintage in five years.
Su hora ha llegado. Botella abierta doce horas antes del almuerzo. Corcho prístino. El tiempo se ha parado de repente. Una seria, masculina aunque aristocrática cabalgada accesible para cualquiera. Intoxicantes aromas a cerezas polvorientas, ciruelas pasas, carne fresca, pimienta negra, rosas marchitas o a la evaporación de la tierra mojada. Pura elegancia que se extiende al paladar con una textura aterciopelada, una estructura sobresaliente corazón central y una extraordinaria longitud mentolada que se extiende al retrogusto sin un ápice de amargor. No es excesivamente seco por cierto. Maravillosa y profunda. Botella de pensamiento, palabra, obra y desgraciadamente para muchos, omisión. De esta misma añada, una de Châteaux Latour para dentro de cinco años.
September 6, 2021 - Tasted blind. Pauillac was a good guess here. This bottle drank really young still with lively fruit and tannin and can last for a while despite the 20 years of age. Medium complexity, medium bodied, medium+ tannins.
September 4, 2021 - Poured into decanter and drank over 45 min or so. Typical Pauillac, already well integrated. A little lean and could do with a bit more concentration but very nice wine nevertheless.
May 30, 2021 - 13% alcohol. No info on the grape mix, but I would guess about 3/4 CS with some M padding. Very long cork (54mm) of excellent quality with no more than 3mm of wine penetration. Decanted 90mn ahead.
The colour is deep but there is significant thinning and the onset of bricking at the edge of the rim.
The first whiff out of the neck of the bottle pre decanting is reduced, but this does not persist. The nose is both vigorous and harmonious with vivid wild berries and some undergrowth. No obvious oak. Quite firm in the mouth with good grip and excellent acidity. Strong menthol in the finish.
This wine shows a good bit more unyielding than my memory of previous bottles, but it is still very enjoyable, although short in the opulence department. Plenty of life ahead.
Not a repeat purchase of course because of the ridiculous escalation in price; the IDW quote for this wine is 160€, and it would be hard to justify more than a quarter of that in my book (probably paid 30€ or so at the time).
May 22, 2021 - W lamb chops from skillet. Very nice. Still very much alive with good fruit and structure. Decent length but wont get better so drink now; fun though!!
February 13, 2021 - Tasted with Latour same year; Les Forts dark red with some brown, not black; Latour more dark towards black; Les Forts blackberry, cedar, open, silky sweet, fully mature and ready; Latour licorice, less expressive than Les Forts, more concentrated, developing in the glas over the hour, early drinking window, plenty of more years before maturity