Les Forts de Latour (10 Charming Bottles To Buy, Terroir, Winemaking)

Les Forts de Latour is the sultry second wine from the legendary French winery Château Latour. 

It features a primary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot but you’ll find some vintages with a small percentage of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc as well. 

Here, we’ve listed 10 of the best Les Forts de Latour vintages you can try today. 

We also look at how its winemaking differs from the Grand Vin, making it a force to reckon with!

What is Les Forts de Latour? 

In 1966, Château Latour released its second wine, the Les Forts de Latour.

It features the Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot but has a higher Merlot concentration than the First GrowthGrand Vin de Château Latour.

Let’s explore some of the best Forts de Latour vintages so that you can appreciate this Grand Cru Classé-quality wine better. 

10 Amazing Les Forts de Latour Wines to Try! 

Check out our top 10 picks of Les Forts de Latour vintage wines: 

• 2016 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 1967 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 1982 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 1971 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 2000 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 1985 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 1990 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 2010 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 1996 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 
• 2005 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' 

1. 2016 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France ($1,041) 

This completely organic Latour bottle offers a deep garnet-to-purple hue with a seductive bouquet of blackberry, dark fruit, cinnamon, and cloves. 

With supple tannins and a medium-to-full body, it’s no wonder the 2016 vintage is witnessing a popularity surge! 

2. 1967 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($421)

A textbook red wine from Paulliac, the 1967 vintage features distinct tasting notes of black currant, leather, spices, and cedar with a fine tannin structure and a clean, dry finish. 

3. 1982 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($394)

With an explosive bouquet of cassis fruit, graphite, cedar, and cigar smoke, the palate focuses on the robust tannins to give you a long-lasting finish. 

Probably one of the best examples of Second Growth Bordeaux, you might even think this 1982 vintage is the Grand Vin upon first taste! 

4. 1971 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($345)

This red wine has a vibrant nose of black currants, leather, tree bark, and lavender, while the palate offers black fruit flavors with intoxicating chocolate, walnuts, and black olive notes. 

5. 2000 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($334)

The 2000 Forts de Latour offers aromas of blueberries, crushed raspberries, cassis fruit, and spices with ripe tannins and a refreshing minerality. 

6. 1985 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($318)

This vintage is quite forward with smooth flavors of currants, mature cedar, bell peppers, and herbs with firm tannins that offer plenty of intensity and depth. 

7. 1990 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($315)

This 1990 vintage is powerful from the get-go with a rich ruby color and an intoxicating bouquet of blackberry, plum, coconut, and vanilla. 

The palate has beautiful acidity with hints of leather and tar to create a full-bodied yet balanced wine. 

8. 2010 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($304)

Featuring a blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, the 2010 Les Forts, with a staggering 14.3% alcohol volume, features aromas of blackberries, blueberries, currants, and dark chocolate. 

Frederic Engerer, CEO of Chateau Latour, created a full-bodied wine that rivals the astounding 1982 vintage and pulls no punches. 

9. 1996 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($296) 

With sensual aromas of fresh flowers and crushed berries, this dense ruby wine has strong tannins, a full-bodied structure, a firm backbone, and a cedar-infused finish. 

10. 2005 Château Latour 'Les Forts de Latour,' Pauillac, France' ($283)

This classy red wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It provides plenty of red fruit flavors with subtle licorice, tobacco, and smoke notes. 

Sweeter and more fruit-forward than the Grand Vin, this medium-to-full-bodied wine offers silky tannins and a long finish.

Which begs the question, how exactly are Latour wines made?  

Château Latour Terroir And Viticulture 

Located in the heart of Medoc, the Château Latour lies about 50km northwest of Bordeaux and shares a boundary with St. Julien. 

This Left Bank Château has a 78-hectare vineyard that’s devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), followed by Merlot (22%), Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot (2% collectively). 

This vineyard can be divided into three sections: 

• The largest section of 47 hectares, Enclos, is closest to the Château  
• The Enclos hilltop that’s circled by two streams and on the edge of the Gironde 
• The 40 hectares outside Enclos consisting of the Petit Batailley and Pinada 

Most of the Château’s grapes are planted at least a dozen meters above the Gironde estuary, making the vines search deep for groundwater. 

Recently, the estate went completely organic, and the 2016 vintage was their first fully organic wine. 

Let’s learn more about the production of this Château’s second wine. 

How Is Les Forts de Latour Made? 

Les Fort is made using the grapes from three separate plots - some from the edge of the estate, some from outside, and some from Grand Vin plots. 

While the Forts de Latour is treated with the same care as the Grand Vin, it differs in a few key ways: 

• It has a higher concentration of Merlot 
• There is more flexibility regarding the origin of the vines 
• The wine is aged in 50%-60% new French oak barrels (whereas Grand Vin is aged in 100% new French oak barrels) 

This similarity in raw material helps the Forts de Latour wines stand head-to-head with the Grand Vin. 

Does this mean Forts de Latour is an investment-worthy wine? 

Should You Invest In Château Latour’s Second Wine? 

Les Forts de Latour might be Château Latour’s second wine, but the care taken to produce it makes it comparable to the Grand Vin itself. 

And so, certain bottles, like the 2016 and 1982 vintages, are coined ‘legendary’ by respected wine critics such as Robert Parker and James Molesworth from the Wine Advocate. 

At the same time, it’s much more affordable with an average price point of $300 compared to the Grand Vin ($900.) Les Fort also has incredible aging potential, with critics citing each bottle should age for at least 10-15 years! 

So, if you’re a wine enthusiast looking to add the 2016 Les Fort or any of the other vintages to your collection, consider doing so through Vinovest, a world-class wine investment company!

Time to Wine Down! 

There’s no doubt the Les Forts de Latour is a fantastic wine that will elevate your collection!

Vinovest will help you buy, store, and sell investment-grade proprietary red and white wines. 

They will also arrange delivery to your doorstep if you choose to uncork your wine - whether in the United States, New Zealand, South Africa, South Australia, South America, or the United Kingdom!