Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 89
Latour’s second wine, Forts de Latour, is now one of the two or three finest second wines of Bordeaux (Bahans-Haut-Brion and the Clos du Marquis of Leoville Las-Cases are two other personal favorites). The terrific, dark ruby/purple-colored 1995 possesses a sweet, jammy black fruit-scented nose intertwined with smoky minerals, earth, and spicy oak. The wine is surprisingly thick and rich in the mouth, with its glycerin and concentration of fruit largely concealing the moderate tannin. This excellent, sweet wine is less powerful, but more accessible than the 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2015.
Anticipated maturity: 2001-2015
Vinous 89+
Very unforthcoming on the nose; opened to show a whiff of shoe polish. Also quite closed in on itself in the mouth; hints of black cherry and dark chocolate. Rather powerfully structured and tough to taste today, but conveys an impression of of excellent concentration. As I noted last year, the substantial tannins coat the insides of the cheeks. May ultimately merit a 90+ rating.
