The deep garnet colored 2009 Les Forts de Latour springs forth with minted chocolate, blackberry pie, sweaty leather and cast iron pan notes with hints of bay leaves and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied and laden with muscular black fruit preserves and savory layers, it has a firm, grainy frame and lovely freshness, finishing with a minty kick. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Mint aromas hint at the wood but more important is the massive Merlot fruit that is an essential element in the blend. The result is a wine that blends richness and power with an initially severe character. Slowly it opens to reveal opulent blackberry jam flavors immensely ripe.

More muscular and closed than the Petit Mouton, here the tannins are beautifully flexed, with real purity of fruit and lovely texture. It's excellent quality, showing focus and a sense of poise and purpose. A brilliant wine, and one that will age well. These first-growth second wines in 2009 are amazing!

Smoke, tobacco, cigar box, earth and red fruit notes create the nose. It is easy to discern the level of fruit and maturity in the nose. On the palate, the wine offers freshness, ripe, dark red fruits, tobacco leaf, spice and chewy, ripe, soft tannins. There is the structure for further aging, yet you can pop a cork today, should you wish. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2009&wine=Les%20Forts%20de%20Latour

65% Cabernet Sauvignon 32% Merlot 1% Cabernet Franc 2% Petit Verdot. A quite impressive and serious `second wine.' Exceptionally complex both aromatically and on the palate I was pleasantly surprised by how spicy this wine was. I get notes of both red and black fruits black pepper and lead pencil. The tannins are very integrated so this wine is very silky and has a long finish.

This has purity and precision with mouthwatering blackberry black currant and steeped plum fruit racing along nicely laced with graphite and studded with enticing ganache and iron notes through the finish. Sleek but the grip is there. Best from 2014 through 2028. -JM