Latour Pauillac Forts de Latour 2019

97 points James Suckling: "Exquisite aromas of lavender, cigar ash and Spanish cedar with dried citrus follow through to a medium body and a solid palate with powerful, ultrafine and linear tannins. The muscle and long finish are so beautiful. Give it two or three years but already a solid wine. Drink after 2028. (1/13/25)"

95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2019 Forts de Latour is a tannic, backward wine, as it has always been. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, graphite, sage and mocha open with a bit of coaxing. Even so, the 2019 is incredibly tight at this stage. Despite its imminent release, I would not dream of touching a bottle any time soon. Rain just before harvest in this warm vintage helped keep things in check and resulted in fairly generous yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare. At the same time, the mid-palate is a bit compact, while the tannins are imposing. Drinking Window: 2029-2049. (Jan 2025)"

95 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "Composed of 65.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.9% Merlot, and 2.3% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with classic scents of cedar, cassis, and plum preserves, followed by suggestions of bay leaves, lavender, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is tight-knit, bright, and refreshing, with fine-grained tannins and a mineral-laced finish. Alcohol 14.3%. Drink: 2026-2046. (5/1/23)"

94+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "The 2019 Les Forts de Latour appears to have tightened up a little since I last tasted it a few years ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet cassis fruit mingled with hints of cedar, iris, orange zest and new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, with a ripe core of fruit underpinned by chalky structuring tannins. While it's approachable after a decant, it certainly merits additional patience. As readers will remember, this bottling mostly derives from dedicated parcels located further inland from Latour's famous "Enclos," next to Château Haut-Batailley. Drink: 2029-2050. (2/13/25)"

94 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): "A captivating nose of milk chocolate, cola, cherries, and violets, offering a soft and inviting bouquet. The palate is fully textured, opening gradually to coat the cheeks and tongue in a fine layer of chalky tannins. Juicy and succulent through the mid-palate, it bursts with citrus zest, orange and lemon pith, cranberries, and red cherries. There’s a beautiful interplay of bite and tension, with a sapdi freshness and a mineral core of crushed stones and iron. The finish ends bright, minty, and herbal, delivering great drive and persistence. 3.60pH. Drinking Window: 2026-2046. (2/2/25)"

94 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(65.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.9% Merlot, 2.3% Petit Verdot). Restrained and more subdued than the Pauillac de Latour, but this has momentum and character, and is lip-smackingly moreish. Brambled blackberry fruits are contrained within sinewy and fairly serious tannins, with liqourice, tobacco, slate, rosemary and truffle. Not the concentration of a vintage like 2016 in this wine, but hard to argue with, and should be ready to drink within five or six years. 70% new oak, 39% of production. Alcohol 14.3%. Drink: 2025-2040. (1/13/22)"

93 points Jeb Dunnuck: "A solid step up, the 2019 Les Forts De Latour offers a classic, regal Latour style in its cassis and darker fruits as well as good complexity in its cedar, sandalwood, graphite, and ripe tobacco aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied and wonderfully textured, with a great finish, it too will evolve for a good two decades, although, as with most 2019s, there's no need to delay gratification. Drink: 2022-2042. (8/20/22)"

93 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2019 Les Forts de Latour has a lovely nose with copious black cherry and cassis scents, quite floral; the new oak beautifully integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fine-boned and exquisite in terms of balance, quite tensile towards the mineral-driven finish. One of the most elegant Pauillacs in this vintage. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink: 2025-2045. (Feb 2023)"