2016 Chateau Latour Les Forts de Latour Magnum

The 2016 Château Latour Les Forts de Latour Magnum is a powerful and impeccably refined Pauillac, capturing the precision and purity of one of Bordeaux’s most revered estates. Drawn from plots within the Grand Vin vineyard and crafted with the same exacting standards, this second wine is anything but secondary. In the generous yet classically structured 2016 vintage, the magnum format offers an especially impressive expression of depth, complexity, and longevity.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this 2016 Les Forts de Latour shows a deep, opaque ruby to garnet core with a vibrant rim, signaling both concentration and youth. The nose opens with layered aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, and ripe plum, followed by graphite, cigar box, cedar, and pencil shavings—classic Pauillac markers—alongside hints of violets, crushed stone, and a subtle smoked spice. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied yet poised, with tightly knit, fine-grained tannins and a linear, driving acidity that keeps the richness in perfect check. Flavors of cassis, black cherry, and mulberry unfold into notes of dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, espresso, and savory herbs, all carried by a long, mineral-tinged finish. The structure is serious and firm, but already shows impressive harmony. In magnum, this 2016 has excellent aging potential: it will continue to develop complexity and tertiary nuances over 15–25 years or more, rewarding patient cellaring.

Production
Les Forts de Latour is drawn from carefully selected parcels within the Pauillac appellation, including plots within the storied Enclos that also feed the Grand Vin. The gravelly soils over a clay and limestone subsoil offer superb drainage and heat retention, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, which dominates the blend alongside Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot. Harvesting is done parcel by parcel, by hand, to ensure optimal ripeness and selection. In the cellar, fruit is meticulously sorted before fermentation in temperature-controlled vats, with extraction tailored to the vintage to preserve finesse as much as power. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels—often with a significant proportion of new oak—allowing tannins to integrate and the wine’s aromatics and texture to gain depth and polish before bottling in the magnum format.

Food & Serving
This 2016 Les Forts de Latour Magnum is an excellent match for classic, richly flavored dishes: think roasted or grilled lamb, ribeye or côte de boeuf, game birds, and slow-braised beef or veal. It also pairs beautifully with truffle-infused dishes, wild mushroom ragouts, and hard cheeses such as aged Comté or matured cheddar. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) for optimal expression; if opened in its youth, decant for 1.5–2 hours to allow the bouquet and structure to fully open. As it matures, a more gentle 45–60 minute decant will help separate any sediment and bring out its evolved, savory complexity.

Producer
Château Latour is one of Bordeaux’s legendary First Growths, positioned at the southern edge of Pauillac on some of the most prized gravel terraces in the Médoc. With a history reaching back to the Middle Ages and a reputation cemented in the 18th and 19th centuries, Latour has long been synonymous with power, precision, and exceptional longevity. Les Forts de Latour, first officially released in the 1960s, represents a visionary approach to second wines: it is sourced from specific plots and crafted with the same rigor as the Grand Vin, rather than simply being a declassified blend. Under modern ownership and relentless quality-focused investment, Château Latour has become a benchmark for uncompromising vineyard management and meticulous winemaking, regularly producing some of the most sought-after wines in Pauillac and all of Bordeaux.

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