Deep ruby colored, black fruits, forest floor and cigar box on the nose. Palate delivered ripe blackberries, cedar, bell pepper, mushroom, vanilla, leather and graphite. Full bodied, high acidity, and melted tannins. Such a nice balanced between primaries and tertiary aromas. Drinking really good now !
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We had this wine paired with Tournedos Rossini. It went very well with the food. The food was excellent, unfortunately the wine did not keep up with the Northern Rhone I had with the previous course. Still a very nice wine and drinking very well right now. Double decanted as well.
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Deep ruby. Pronounced nose of ripe blackberry, cut grass, some fungals, and graphite. Some tannic bite, and mouthwatering acids, whilst a body that’s fairly hefty, and a rather savoury meaty attack, then blackberry, cedar, dried grass, dark florals, cloves, bell pepper, tar, and pencil shavings. Finish dominated with tart black fruits and grass
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FWSG tasting. Drank in Grassl 1855. Tasted semi-blind. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet rim. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of spicy red capsicum bell peppers, fresh moist earth, cedarwood, cigar, bit of pencil lead, dark red cherries, blackberries, black cherry. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, fine high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherries, dark spice, bell peppers, cigar ash, pencil lead, emerging leather. Long finish. Very good quality. Still room for more ageing and development, though it is certainly quite yummy and drinkable now already. Erm, actually it isn't much worse, and may actually even be a wee bit better than the actual 1996 Latour I tasted before...
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Medium garnet in colour. Pronounced nose intensity of cassis, toast, cedar, figs, prune, mushroom, dried raisin. Medium+ tannin and acidity. The bottle is in good condition, ullage is high. WOTN when drinking together with 1988 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, 1990 Château Cos d’Estournel and 2007 Chateau Palmer.
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Decanted 3 hrs. Some cellar funk. Perfect cork. Deep darkish red, thin pale edge. Looks younger than it is! Classic Pauillac bq: cedar box, dark fruit, black currants, touch of spices, a bit of herbs. Rounded tannins, very nice acidity, fruit still fresh (currants, candied orange peel). Lovely balance. Long aftertaste w fruit dominating. Perfectly mature. Will live longer (maybe 5 yrs). Elegant, not a blockbuster Latour.
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Fantastic example of '96 Left Bank. 1.5 hours decanted and left open for later in the program. Nose is perfect and this wine is well into drinking window.
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After a 2.5 hour decant, my last bottle from this vintage was very good but had a long saddle finish that we were not accustomed too. Nothing wrong with it but we’ve been drinking a lot of fruity California cabs prior too so this had a very unique disposition. Still got life in it so it can probably go for a while longer. Definitely needs a good decant to take the tardiness out of it.
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Drunk at the Mandarin Grill Hong Kong - This has the character of the Grand Vin but without the power. It's not a window into how its big brother will be in future years, but rather a 'mini me' I think. The herbaceous quality of the '96 vintage comes through and is pleasantly complimented by the soft tannins and fruit that is aging elegantly. I feel you should always view Les Forts as its 'own man' rather than just a subsidiary of the Latour Grand Vin.
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Gorgeous wine. Enjoyed tonight on my birthday. Great comments here and I can agree with sweet spicy aromas. The palate is smooth graphite, minerals and dark fruit. There is a lot going on - a complex wine. The finish I agree - about 20 seconds. Bang in the middle of its long drinking window I would expect...
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I have had many an enjoyable experience with Les Forts de Latour and with this particular vintage. However, this bottle seemed to have shut down. The fruit was there, as was the nose, but on the palate it was very, very restrained. I have a few bottles left, and those baby Latours will not disappoint.
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A beautiful Les Forts that’s expressive of the terroir with dark fruits and mature notes of roasted walnuts, dark spices and sweet, smoky earth. Quite ‘96 in the high-toned finish and crisp tannins and the sweet fruit underneath really comes through after a 2-hour decant. Plenty of life left here. Drunk in Bordeaux after en premeur.
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Pulled from Brent & Laurie's cellar. Wow, this was incredibly youthful, pop n pour, but showed beautifully. Classic BDX. There's strong graphite and dark fruit. Wonder what a decant would have done.
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HDH auction at Spiaggia (ft. Maison Leroy); 9/13/2018-9/15/2018 (Chicago, IL): Yeah, this is really classic Bordeaux. Intense graphite, black fruit, and power on the nose and palate. The acidity and freshness here off the charts. Dark fruit and fairly resolved tannins. This is actually drinking splendidly already.
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A big wine! Dark garnet still. Huge nose full of plums, sweet cigar and spice wrapped in leather. Velvety texture and nice weight. Good integrated tannins and nice length. Paired wonderfully with gamey lamb chops
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Light Ruby color, looks like a burgundy, no clear signs of aging. Medium body, well balanced, elegant. At a nice mature drinking window. Quite far off from the 96' grand vin but to be expected! Overall enjoyed this one and had been curious to try for long time.
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Bordeaux: Second wines in great vintages. (Valuas): Beautifully mature and still fresh bouquet with good dark fruits, lead pencil , smoke and luxurious oak. On the palate a wine with great extraction, dark berries like blackberries and cassis, good acidity, round but still powerful tannin and full bodied. Beautiful and with a future of 5+ years.
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Its a beautiful wine. Drinking now at its peak. The color was dark ruby and i smelled heavy leather at the nose as if a leather chair right in front of me. On the palate is smoky, tobacco and a long finish. Loved it!!
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Nez de bonne puissance sur le cuir, les fruits, la fumée, le cèdre et un peu de poivrons rouges La bouche est très belle, du fruit et du cuir en puissance, tannins bien intégrés mais présents, beaucoup de matière Finale de belle longueur, un peu rugeuse, sur le fruit rouge, la fumée et une touche de poivron rouge. À son plateau, va encore tenir la route quelques années
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A great wine. It was the first bottle from a case I bought at the release in the 1990's. A classic Bordeaux nose with blackcurrant, leather and oak but also a touch of stems. Lots of fruit with soft integrated tannins. What you want from a mature Bordeaux. At its peak now but will last for several years.
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Decanted 25 minutes and drank over the next hour and a half. Dark and bloody. Sweet jammy red fruit, almost like a fruit roll up, on the nose, plus some leather, tobacco, graphite and mineral. The palate is lean, minerally and generous at the same time with soft, fully integrated tannins, lots of red fruit, raspberry liquor, raisins and currants. Medium weight. My main gripe is the 20 or so second finish, which could be longer. This is probably at its plateau.
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Deep color with some lightening at the edge. Nose opened quickly with classic blackcurrant, cedar, walnut and liquorice. Palate quite intense with increasing fruit intensity as the wine opened. Beautiful structure with fine tannins and long finish. Probably now at peak - a delicious dinner wine.
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Dark ruby color. Huge nose of cassis, earth, and farmyard--despite no time for a decant. delicious, graceful, and balanced, with tannins fully integrated. Could have drunk it all night. Oh, wait! We did, since our host had opened a magnum...Paired with magnificent Pyrennean lamb, roasted.
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Cedar, blackberry and leather on the nose. Inexpressive tastes at first, it took a good 7 hours to emerge, then the attack brightened, with quite precise blackberry, violet and a hint of plum, followed by a second wave, much more enjoyable, of sweet cassis and raspberry liqueur, before a crisp finale. Civilized, a little lacking in exuberance, but ultimately very satisfying.
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Fruit, lovely complex smooth acids. Next to the Carruades 1996 this was wonderful. It won't get better but I am sure it can stay at this level for at least another 5 years
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Decanted 1/2 an hour. Medium/deep garnet core, medium pale rim. This has a reasonably developed, complex nose, with cool dark fruit, smoke, notes of gravelly earth and a slight herbal edge. On the palate this is medium bodied with soft tannins, intense, pure dark fruit, touch of smoke and mineral with nice tangy acidity carrying a lingering finish with just a touch of grip left at the tail end. Beautifully balanced and composed, this outperformed expectations and I would say is drinking perfectly now.
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Chateau Latour vertical with Commercial Director Jean Garandeau (Grand Hotel Dolder, Zurich): At Arvi Chateau Latour tasting, Grand Hotel Dolder. Dark ruby with garnet rim. Expressive nose of forest floor with pronounced musty, mushroom and farmyard notes. On the palate soft and pleasant but with a bit of the hole in the mid palate. Nose stronger than palate. Ready now.
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Klar, mørk rød. Mørk, flørtende nese med dype, mørke bær, blyantspiss og innsmigrende bærsødme. Ungdommelig, nesten primær frukt med flott, balansert sødme. Frisk og presis syre som trekker ut i avslutningen. Milde tanniner. Flott lengde med knuste bær. Nydelig andrevin.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Aromas of grilled, gamey meats, mossy soil and graphite. High tannins with powerful flavors of tart black cherry & black olives on front palate with hints of saddle soap and hickory chips on long, silky finish. Tasted solid on first night and top-notch on second night!
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Passed through Vinturi in the Reidel Eve Decanter For 1H .Decanter very cool looks like a Cobra snake and if you swirl the wine inside it serves a perfect portion of wine into the glass. The wine was excellent very elegant complex with leather, moss, spices and bit of sour apples. Long silky and refined. I only hope I had more of this baby's in my cellar but sadly it was the last one. It's drinking beautifully right now, I guess it can hold up a few more years, but I would not wait, life is too short, enjoy :)
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Color dark red with crimson centre. Nose complex dark fruits, cedar touches of violets, walnut and cedar. More focussed and interesting than last bottle. Palate medium weight, intense and focussed palate with great length. Fine long tannins give excellent structure. Less developed than last years opening. Very good.
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Brick red rim, Perfume like bouquet, unmistaken Latour nose, crashed black currant, cedar box, raspberry, creamy, hint of vanilla, very refined tannins. Drink side by side with 96 Lynch Bages, it shows better texture, fineness. Aftertaste is long, lingering, smooth and harmony.
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At restaurant Chapon Fin in Bordeaux - as large-scaled a second wine as I've ever encountered. The tannins are still a bit sour and the wine needed 1.5 hrs. In a decanter to begin to show itself. Then a beautifully pure and still primary Les Forts thats full-bodied with rich dark fruit flavors and that wonderful earth/walnut taste that is so clearly Latour. No secondary flavor development yet but the terroir shows through beautifully and therefore it's a joy to drink now with meats and big dishes but it needs a few more years to reach maturity. Wish I had this in the cellar!
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One of the best second wines I have ever had. It totally delivered from the mother ship. Maybe not as out of body as the real deal bt such a pleasure to drink. Silky tannins, soft mouthfeel and great mature red cherry and cassis. Ample oak but not splintering. I loved the finish with loam and some truffles.
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Color dark red touch of crimson. Nose initially closed opened with decanting : classic aged Pauillac - blackcurrant, cedar, fresh herbs : more evolved than expected. Palate medium weight, mellow well balanced touches of walnuts, stones. Very good length : solid and typical but not standout !
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Brick red, cork hardly stained. Decanted two hours. On the nose I get leather, bacon & cedar. Front of the mouth is blackcurrant & chocolate, the mid-palate is peppery & the tannins are evident but supple with a long gravel finish. A sensational wine & only a year to wait until I try the next bottle!
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My last bottle of this. As in my prior notes, great classic Pauillac nose of cassis and some cedar and dark chocolate. Smooooothe. Drinking great today, though no hurry to drink up.
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Always has been my favourite 2nd wine, still better than many 1st growths. Classic Pauillac nose of dark fruits, leather and lead pencil, nicely concentrated, good balance, long finish, does not have as many layers as the 1st wine but a great drink.
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Smooth as silk, with wonderful nose of cherries and a little chocolate. Wonderful, lingering finish. Terrific wine, at its peak, in my opinion, though no hurry to drink up.
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Decanted for several hours. Nose was bright and cedary, with almost red fruit notes. Some nice graphite and gravel notes. Showing just a touch of secondary dried fruit and flower aromas. Palate still has firm tannins that are just starting to soften. Nice acidity yet that is well balanced. Savory berries and blackcurrants with a touch of green olive. Long finish of graphite and dried berries. In my opinion, just getting into the drinking window. Still has a lot of youth.
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Lunch @ Bocca di Lupo (London): Lunch @ Bocca di Lupo- opened/decanted approx 5 hours. purple color. on the nose lead, forest, touch of cedar. in the mouth the balance was great, touch of dark fruits mixed with some pauillac lead pencil. the wine was very focused and lead you from front of the mouth to mid palette to the finish. great balance, long finish. still evolving but starting to drink. great food wine
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Mostly through a case now, and another great bottle. Wonderful complexity on the nose, almost didn't want to drink the nose was so terrific. But then a smoothe lingering finish. Fantastic wine, probably near its peak, though still years to go.
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Nose what not what I had expected, more simple and clean then I was expecting. Tobacco seemed dominant. Liked it a lot better than the 2000 which it preceded, which seemed down a couple of notches further in complexity. I didn't feel like it was typical of Paulliac in terms of earthiness and complexity.
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Very clean wine. Decanted for about 4 hours before relishing this smooth beauty with notes of cedar and cassis. and lead pencil. Glad I have 5 more bottles.
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Medium plum in appearance. Nose of a green forrest - obviously some cedar in there with some notes of sweet black fruits - blackcurrant. The wine was opened at 10am and not consumed until 8pm - so opened for around 10 hours. Very nice on the palate - medium tannins - lots of sweet dark fruits - cassis - tobacco leaf - and some smoked oak. Very long satisfying finish. A lovely juice.
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Followed the 99 Margaux quite well on Thanksgiving. Greater age and deeper, more complex nose with distinct cedar notes contrasted nicely with riper fruit of M.
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Terrific wine. Notes of cassis and cedar on a nicely complex nose. Very smoothe, with a clean, lingering finish. Great with beef bourginon. P. liked a lot.
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Decanted but I believe it could have benefitted from more than the 20-30 minutes it received. Lead pencil and tobacco. Some blueberry trying to come out. Believe this is young but don't know if it will ever grow up. There are certainly better wines for the tab.
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Chateau Latour vertical (K&L Wines; moderated by Robert Parker) (San Francisco, CA): 1996 Les Forts de Latour Tis was the only truly disappointing wine of the night for me, given the vintage’s quality and the bigger sibling’s incredible quality. Awful nose of barnyard, horse manure, green bell pepper and other dirty smells. Full to medium bodied, with much better taste than nose, good flavor intensity, although lacking diversity and a disappointingly shorter finish than I expected, although not short overall. I would have given this wine 88 points on flavor alone, but the nose ruined my experience. 84 points.
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7/9/2023 - Larslatour wrote: 95 Points
Opened up beautiful after two hours decanting.
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3/2/2023 - BradE wrote:
From 375ml. Decent, but my sense if these are over the hill. Drink up.
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12/30/2022 - lovemycab Likes this wine: 94 Points
While we decanted and enjoyed over an hour or so, the initial taste after opening was delicious. This is drinking really well right now.
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8/16/2022 - BradE wrote:
Nice nose. Clean semi-lean fruit. Nice old school claret. For the $21 paid per half bottle a long time ago, I can't complain.
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3/7/2022 - CGandur Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brilliant
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1/27/2022 - SebChau Likes this wine: 96 Points
Deep ruby colored, black fruits, forest floor and cigar box on the nose. Palate delivered ripe blackberries, cedar, bell pepper, mushroom, vanilla, leather and graphite. Full bodied, high acidity, and melted tannins. Such a nice balanced between primaries and tertiary aromas. Drinking really good now !
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1/3/2022 - 2 Utes Likes this wine: 91 Points
We had this wine paired with Tournedos Rossini. It went very well with the food. The food was excellent, unfortunately the wine did not keep up with the Northern Rhone I had with the previous course. Still a very nice wine and drinking very well right now. Double decanted as well.
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6/1/2021 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby. Pronounced nose of ripe blackberry, cut grass, some fungals, and graphite. Some tannic bite, and mouthwatering acids, whilst a body that’s fairly hefty, and a rather savoury meaty attack, then blackberry, cedar, dried grass, dark florals, cloves, bell pepper, tar, and pencil shavings. Finish dominated with tart black fruits and grass
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5/22/2021 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 93 Points
FWSG tasting. Drank in Grassl 1855. Tasted semi-blind.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet rim. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of spicy red capsicum bell peppers, fresh moist earth, cedarwood, cigar, bit of pencil lead, dark red cherries, blackberries, black cherry. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, fine high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherries, dark spice, bell peppers, cigar ash, pencil lead, emerging leather. Long finish.
Very good quality. Still room for more ageing and development, though it is certainly quite yummy and drinkable now already. Erm, actually it isn't much worse, and may actually even be a wee bit better than the actual 1996 Latour I tasted before...
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2/25/2021 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium garnet in colour. Pronounced nose intensity of cassis, toast, cedar, figs, prune, mushroom, dried raisin. Medium+ tannin and acidity. The bottle is in good condition, ullage is high. WOTN when drinking together with 1988 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, 1990 Château Cos d’Estournel and 2007 Chateau Palmer.
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11/8/2020 - Leto South wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hrs. Some cellar funk. Perfect cork. Deep darkish red, thin pale edge. Looks younger than it is! Classic Pauillac bq: cedar box, dark fruit, black currants, touch of spices, a bit of herbs. Rounded tannins, very nice acidity, fruit still fresh (currants, candied orange peel). Lovely balance. Long aftertaste w fruit dominating. Perfectly mature. Will live longer (maybe 5 yrs). Elegant, not a blockbuster Latour.
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7/7/2020 - SinawoyCellars Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic example of '96 Left Bank. 1.5 hours decanted and left open for later in the program. Nose is perfect and this wine is well into drinking window.
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5/10/2020 - philweird Likes this wine: 91 Points
After a 2.5 hour decant, my last bottle from this vintage was very good but had a long saddle finish that we were not accustomed too. Nothing wrong with it but we’ve been drinking a lot of fruity California cabs prior too so this had a very unique disposition. Still got life in it so it can probably go for a while longer. Definitely needs a good decant to take the tardiness out of it.
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2/28/2020 - KoalaHK wrote:
Drunk at the Mandarin Grill Hong Kong - This has the character of the Grand Vin but without the power. It's not a window into how its big brother will be in future years, but rather a 'mini me' I think. The herbaceous quality of the '96 vintage comes through and is pleasantly complimented by the soft tannins and fruit that is aging elegantly. I feel you should always view Les Forts as its 'own man' rather than just a subsidiary of the Latour Grand Vin.
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5/29/2019 - Cigar nuke wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous wine. Enjoyed tonight on my birthday. Great comments here and I can agree with sweet spicy aromas. The palate is smooth graphite, minerals and dark fruit. There is a lot going on - a complex wine. The finish I agree - about 20 seconds. Bang in the middle of its long drinking window I would expect...
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5/10/2019 - Labrador wrote: 80 Points
I have had many an enjoyable experience with Les Forts de Latour and with this particular vintage. However, this bottle seemed to have shut down. The fruit was there, as was the nose, but on the palate it was very, very restrained. I have a few bottles left, and those baby Latours will not disappoint.
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4/5/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful Les Forts that’s expressive of the terroir with dark fruits and mature notes of roasted walnuts, dark spices and sweet, smoky earth. Quite ‘96 in the high-toned finish and crisp tannins and the sweet fruit underneath really comes through after a 2-hour decant. Plenty of life left here. Drunk in Bordeaux after en premeur.
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12/15/2018 - brigcampbell wrote:
Pulled from Brent & Laurie's cellar. Wow, this was incredibly youthful, pop n pour, but showed beautifully. Classic BDX. There's strong graphite and dark fruit. Wonder what a decant would have done.
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9/15/2018 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
HDH auction at Spiaggia (ft. Maison Leroy); 9/13/2018-9/15/2018 (Chicago, IL): Yeah, this is really classic Bordeaux. Intense graphite, black fruit, and power on the nose and palate. The acidity and freshness here off the charts. Dark fruit and fairly resolved tannins. This is actually drinking splendidly already.
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5/24/2018 - CellarBord Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice nose with a bit of cucumber, angular on the palate, enjoyed, yet ready to drink up. Paired well with the Roasted Loin of veal.
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10/23/2017 - Morpheus103 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Smooth as expected.
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9/23/2017 - Chaochao Likes this wine: 91 Points
A big wine! Dark garnet still. Huge nose full of plums, sweet cigar and spice wrapped in leather. Velvety texture and nice weight. Good integrated tannins and nice length. Paired wonderfully with gamey lamb chops
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6/10/2017 - SonnyChiba wrote: 92 Points
Light Ruby color, looks like a burgundy, no clear signs of aging. Medium body, well balanced, elegant. At a nice mature drinking window. Quite far off from the 96' grand vin but to be expected! Overall enjoyed this one and had been curious to try for long time.
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12/2/2016 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Bordeaux: Second wines in great vintages. (Valuas): Beautifully mature and still fresh bouquet with good dark fruits, lead pencil , smoke and luxurious oak. On the palate a wine with great extraction, dark berries like blackberries and cassis, good acidity, round but still powerful tannin and full bodied. Beautiful and with a future of 5+ years.
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9/29/2016 - 22slams Likes this wine: 92 Points
Its a beautiful wine. Drinking now at its peak. The color was dark ruby and i smelled heavy leather at the nose as if a leather chair right in front of me. On the palate is smoky, tobacco and a long finish.
Loved it!!
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3/5/2016 - Jonathanmustang Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nez de bonne puissance sur le cuir, les fruits, la fumée, le cèdre et un peu de poivrons rouges
La bouche est très belle, du fruit et du cuir en puissance, tannins bien intégrés mais présents, beaucoup de matière
Finale de belle longueur, un peu rugeuse, sur le fruit rouge, la fumée et une touche de poivron rouge.
À son plateau, va encore tenir la route quelques années
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2/4/2016 - Erik12000 Likes this wine:
A great wine. It was the first bottle from a case I bought at the release in the 1990's. A classic Bordeaux nose with blackcurrant, leather and oak but also a touch of stems. Lots of fruit with soft integrated tannins. What you want from a mature Bordeaux. At its peak now but will last for several years.
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5/11/2015 - rh53w wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 25 minutes and drank over the next hour and a half. Dark and bloody. Sweet jammy red fruit, almost like a fruit roll up, on the nose, plus some leather, tobacco, graphite and mineral. The palate is lean, minerally and generous at the same time with soft, fully integrated tannins, lots of red fruit, raspberry liquor, raisins and currants. Medium weight. My main gripe is the 20 or so second finish, which could be longer. This is probably at its plateau.
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2/17/2015 - drjb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep color with some lightening at the edge. Nose opened quickly with classic blackcurrant, cedar, walnut and liquorice. Palate quite intense with increasing fruit intensity as the wine opened. Beautiful structure with fine tannins and long finish. Probably now at peak - a delicious dinner wine.
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2/4/2015 - M.Batard wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby color. Huge nose of cassis, earth, and farmyard--despite no time for a decant. delicious, graceful, and balanced, with tannins fully integrated. Could have drunk it all night. Oh, wait! We did, since our host had opened a magnum...Paired with magnificent Pyrennean lamb, roasted.
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1/11/2015 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cedar, blackberry and leather on the nose. Inexpressive tastes at first, it took a good 7 hours to emerge, then the attack brightened, with quite precise blackberry, violet and a hint of plum, followed by a second wave, much more enjoyable, of sweet cassis and raspberry liqueur, before a crisp finale. Civilized, a little lacking in exuberance, but ultimately very satisfying.
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11/15/2013 - MGrange Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit, lovely complex smooth acids. Next to the Carruades 1996 this was wonderful. It won't get better but I am sure it can stay at this level for at least another 5 years
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11/9/2013 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1/2 an hour. Medium/deep garnet core, medium pale rim. This has a reasonably developed, complex nose, with cool dark fruit, smoke, notes of gravelly earth and a slight herbal edge. On the palate this is medium bodied with soft tannins, intense, pure dark fruit, touch of smoke and mineral with nice tangy acidity carrying a lingering finish with just a touch of grip left at the tail end. Beautifully balanced and composed, this outperformed expectations and I would say is drinking perfectly now.
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6/14/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: 92 Points
Chateau Latour vertical with Commercial Director Jean Garandeau (Grand Hotel Dolder, Zurich): At Arvi Chateau Latour tasting, Grand Hotel Dolder. Dark ruby with garnet rim. Expressive nose of forest floor with pronounced musty, mushroom and farmyard notes. On the palate soft and pleasant but with a bit of the hole in the mid palate. Nose stronger than palate. Ready now.
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6/1/2013 - jmoon wrote: 94 Points
Love this wine. Delicious pencil and leather pauillac , perfectly balanced and mature. Medium bodied, seamless, delicious.
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5/4/2013 - -E- wrote: 93 Points
Klar, mørk rød. Mørk, flørtende nese med dype, mørke bær, blyantspiss og innsmigrende bærsødme. Ungdommelig, nesten primær frukt med flott, balansert sødme. Frisk og presis syre som trekker ut i avslutningen. Milde tanniner. Flott lengde med knuste bær. Nydelig andrevin.
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1/1/2013 - raydawgone Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Aromas of grilled, gamey meats, mossy soil and graphite. High tannins with powerful flavors of tart black cherry & black olives on front palate with hints of saddle soap and hickory chips on long, silky finish. Tasted solid on first night and top-notch on second night!
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9/17/2012 - GEDC wrote: 94 Points
Passed through Vinturi in the Reidel Eve Decanter For 1H .Decanter very cool looks like a Cobra snake and if you swirl the wine inside it serves a perfect portion of wine into the glass. The wine was excellent very elegant complex with leather, moss, spices and bit of sour apples. Long silky and refined. I only hope I had more of this baby's in my cellar but sadly it was the last one. It's drinking beautifully right now, I guess it can hold up a few more years, but I would not wait, life is too short, enjoy :)
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8/4/2012 - drjb wrote: 93 Points
Color dark red with crimson centre. Nose complex dark fruits, cedar touches of violets, walnut and cedar. More focussed and interesting than last bottle. Palate medium weight, intense and focussed palate with great length. Fine long tannins give excellent structure. Less developed than last years opening. Very good.
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5/26/2012 - Hawk94 wrote: 93 Points
Brick red rim, Perfume like bouquet, unmistaken Latour nose, crashed black currant, cedar box, raspberry, creamy, hint of vanilla, very refined tannins. Drink side by side with 96 Lynch Bages, it shows better texture, fineness. Aftertaste is long, lingering, smooth and harmony.
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4/5/2012 - dream wrote: 94 Points
At restaurant Chapon Fin in Bordeaux - as large-scaled a second wine as I've ever encountered. The tannins are still a bit sour and the wine needed 1.5 hrs. In a decanter to begin to show itself. Then a beautifully pure and still primary Les Forts thats full-bodied with rich dark fruit flavors and that wonderful earth/walnut taste that is so clearly Latour. No secondary flavor development yet but the terroir shows through beautifully and therefore it's a joy to drink now with meats and big dishes but it needs a few more years to reach maturity. Wish I had this in the cellar!
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3/10/2012 - rdsboca wrote: 94 Points
One of the best second wines I have ever had. It totally delivered from the mother ship. Maybe not as out of body as the real deal bt such a pleasure to drink. Silky tannins, soft mouthfeel and great mature red cherry and cassis. Ample oak but not splintering. I loved the finish with loam and some truffles.
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6/13/2011 - drjb wrote: 90 Points
Color dark red touch of crimson. Nose initially closed opened with decanting : classic aged Pauillac - blackcurrant, cedar, fresh herbs : more evolved than expected. Palate medium weight, mellow well balanced touches of walnuts, stones. Very good length : solid and typical but not standout !
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5/8/2011 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
An excellent aged bordeaux at its peak, with cassis, plum and bacon flavors, elegant, nicely structured. Drinking beautifully.
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4/30/2011 - butterscotch Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brick red, cork hardly stained. Decanted two hours. On the nose I get leather, bacon & cedar. Front of the mouth is blackcurrant & chocolate, the mid-palate is peppery & the tannins are evident but supple with a long gravel finish. A sensational wine & only a year to wait until I try the next bottle!
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12/18/2010 - Ibetian wrote: 95 Points
My last bottle of this. As in my prior notes, great classic Pauillac nose of cassis and some cedar and dark chocolate. Smooooothe. Drinking great today, though no hurry to drink up.
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4/26/2010 - Pacalet wrote: 91 Points
Always has been my favourite 2nd wine, still better than many 1st growths. Classic Pauillac nose of dark fruits, leather and lead pencil, nicely concentrated, good balance, long finish, does not have as many layers as the 1st wine but a great drink.
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4/7/2010 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Smooth as silk, with wonderful nose of cherries and a little chocolate. Wonderful, lingering finish. Terrific wine, at its peak, in my opinion, though no hurry to drink up.
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12/31/2009 - Beavis77 wrote:
Decanted for several hours.
Nose was bright and cedary, with almost red fruit notes. Some nice graphite and gravel notes. Showing just a touch of secondary dried fruit and flower aromas.
Palate still has firm tannins that are just starting to soften. Nice acidity yet that is well balanced. Savory berries and blackcurrants with a touch of green olive. Long finish of graphite and dried berries.
In my opinion, just getting into the drinking window. Still has a lot of youth.
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7/5/2009 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
Classic Pauillac nose of cedar, red fruit and tobacco. Smoothe and delightful.
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5/6/2009 - reichken wrote: 92 Points
Lunch @ Bocca di Lupo (London): Lunch @ Bocca di Lupo- opened/decanted approx 5 hours. purple color. on the nose lead, forest, touch of cedar. in the mouth the balance was great, touch of dark fruits mixed with some pauillac lead pencil. the wine was very focused and lead you from front of the mouth to mid palette to the finish. great balance, long finish. still evolving but starting to drink. great food wine
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6/28/2008 - bderaad@gmail.com wrote: 86 Points
Tried to like it, but to no avail. Great nose, but too tannic for me and a disappointing finish.
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4/29/2008 - Ibetian wrote: 93 Points
Mostly through a case now, and another great bottle. Wonderful complexity on the nose, almost didn't want to drink the nose was so terrific. But then a smoothe lingering finish. Fantastic wine, probably near its peak, though still years to go.
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1/2/2008 - Schemer wrote: 88 Points
Nose what not what I had expected, more simple and clean then I was expecting. Tobacco seemed dominant. Liked it a lot better than the 2000 which it preceded, which seemed down a couple of notches further in complexity. I didn't feel like it was typical of Paulliac in terms of earthiness and complexity.
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1/26/2007 - efishency wrote: 92 Points
Very clean wine. Decanted for about 4 hours before relishing this smooth beauty with notes of cedar and cassis. and lead pencil. Glad I have 5 more bottles.
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12/29/2006 - CAS wrote: 90 Points
Medium plum in appearance. Nose of a green forrest - obviously some cedar in there with some notes of sweet black fruits - blackcurrant. The wine was opened at 10am and not consumed until 8pm - so opened for around 10 hours. Very nice on the palate - medium tannins - lots of sweet dark fruits - cassis - tobacco leaf - and some smoked oak. Very long satisfying finish. A lovely juice.
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11/25/2006 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Followed the 99 Margaux quite well on Thanksgiving. Greater age and deeper, more complex nose with distinct cedar notes contrasted nicely with riper fruit of M.
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10/31/2006 - Jazzmaniac wrote: 98 Points
sublime, perfect balance of fruit and acid, incredibly long finish, well developed tanins
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9/30/2006 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
Terrific wine. Notes of cassis and cedar on a nicely complex nose. Very smoothe, with a clean, lingering finish. Great with beef bourginon. P. liked a lot.
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12/20/2005 - Brad L wrote:
More advanced than I would have guessed, nice mouthfeel, still a little tannic though, leafy, quite beautiful. Very nice wine.
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11/23/2005 - SeaBud wrote: 91 Points
Decanted but I believe it could have benefitted from more than the 20-30 minutes it received. Lead pencil and tobacco. Some blueberry trying to come out. Believe this is young but don't know if it will ever grow up. There are certainly better wines for the tab.
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10/15/2003 - hcampana wrote: 84 Points
Chateau Latour vertical (K&L Wines; moderated by Robert Parker) (San Francisco, CA): 1996 Les Forts de Latour
Tis was the only truly disappointing wine of the night for me, given the vintage’s quality and the bigger sibling’s incredible quality. Awful nose of barnyard, horse manure, green bell pepper and other dirty smells. Full to medium bodied, with much better taste than nose, good flavor intensity, although lacking diversity and a disappointingly shorter finish than I expected, although not short overall. I would have given this wine 88 points on flavor alone, but the nose ruined my experience. 84 points.
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