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Goedhuis, April 2011, Score: 93-96
Possibly my favourite of all the 2nd wines, this is punching well above its weight and has a real feeling of ripeness. A structured wine and yet not forced, this is a wine of great balance. The balance between ripeness and freshness is exquisite and this stands alongside some of the very best of the vintage. DR
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Neal Martin, February 2013, Score: 94
The Les Forts de Latour has a very complex nose with subtle notes of raspberry preserve, blackcurrant, graphite and a very faint, almost marmalade-like scents. The palate is medium bodied with great tension and poise, the acidity slicing through the dense blackberry fruit laced with white pepper and graphite. This is a sense of "solidity" to this Les Forts that is paradigmatic of the vintage. Excellent - although it deserves a decade in bottle.
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Neal Martin, March 2011, Score: 93-95
A blend of 72.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25.5% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, 14.3% alcohol and representing 40% of the production. It has a glorious bouquet with stupendous delineation: blackberry, cedar, mint and a touch of pot pourri. The palate has a tannic entry, the Cabernet Sauvignon is very pronounced with cedar, tobacco and pencil lead. Very classic and very pure, symmetrical towards the finish. Great focus and length. Superb.
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Robert Parker, February 2013, Score: 97
Bizarre as it may sound, the 2010 Les Forts de Latour is also the finest I have ever tasted from this selection, which comes from specific vineyards, not really so much a second wine as just another wine from estate holdings. A blend of 72.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27.5% Merlot that represents 40% of the production, this astonishing wine hit 14.3% natural alcohol. Extremely ripe and rich, it reminds me of the 1982 on steroids (and that wine is still drinking great 30 years after the vintage). Sensational notes of graphite, crushed rocks, black fruits, camphor and damp forest notes are present in this expansive, savory, full-throttle wine, which is better than many vintages of the great Latour itself from the past. (That may be a heretical statement, but it’s the truth as I see it.) This wine needs a good 5-6 years of cellaring and should age for three decades at minimum, given the fact that the 1982 is in terrific form and wasn’t this concentrated or prodigious. There is no denying the outrage and recriminations over the decision by the Pinault family and their administrator, Frederic Engerer, to pull Latour off the futures market next year. However, you can still buy these 2010s, although the first two wines are not likely to be released until they have more maturity, which makes sense from my perspective. Perhaps Latour may have offended a few loyal customers who were buying wines as futures, but they are trying to curtail all the interim speculation that occurs with great vintages of their wines (although only God knows what a great vintage of future Latour will bring at seven or eight years after the harvest). As a set of wines, the 2010s may be the Pinaults’ and Engerer’s greatest achievements to date. Of course, I suspect the other first-growth families won’t want to hear that, nor will most of the negociants in Bordeaux, but it’s just the way things are. Frederic Engerer, by no means the most modest of administrators at the first growths, thinks it would be virtually impossible to produce a wine better than this, and he may well be correct. If they gave out Academy Awards for great performances in wine, the Pinaults and Engerer would certainly fetch a few in 2010. P.S. Just so you don’t worry, Engerer offered up the 2009 next to the 2010 to see if I thought it was still a 100-point wine, and yes, ladies and gentlemen, it still is.Drink: 2018-2048
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Robert Parker, May 2011, Score: 92-95
Possibly the most profound Forts de Latour ever produced, the 2010, like its bigger brother, Latour, was harvested between the third week of September and October 11. Representing 40% of the production and tipping the scales at 14.3% alcohol, it is a blend of 72.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot. Super-concentrated as well as unctuously textured and opulent, this pure, deep Forts de Latour should drink well for 25-30 years. It is as great as the prodigious 1982, which is still drinking well at age 29. Drink: 2011 - 2041
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James Suckling, April 2011, Score: 94-95
This is hyper fine, with beautiful tannins that are incredibly integrated. Full and super intense. Licorice and currants and violets. Splendid. 72.5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 25.5 percent Merlot, and 2 percent Petit Verdot.
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Decanter, April 2011, Score: 18
Slightly smoky nose, great expression of rich, vigorous fruit, superb freshness and structure. Drink 2020-35.
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Jancis Robinson, April 2011, Score: 18
72.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25.5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 40% of production. Very, very dark purple. Scented and supple on the nose! Oddly enough this seems lighter than one might expect from this vintage and name – has it absorbed all the lighter cuvées? Really quite luscious and sweet, despite its IPT of 87! Very rich for Forts. Very flattering and winning. The open face of Latour. A bit sweeter than usual – very much the open face. Less classic Latour than usual. 14.3%. Drink 2020-2035
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Wine Spectator, April 2011, Score: 93-96
This comes off as almost sweet, thanks to gentle ripeness and friendly plum sauce, raspberry and cherry compote notes, all backed by an energy that's in reserve. There's latent acidity rippling through the finish, where briar, pastis and graphite lurk as well. Really pure. A noticeable step up from the Pauillac. Tasted non-blind. -J.M.
