Les Forts de Latour Pauillac 2020 6-Pack Pre-Arrival
ETA: Early Winter 2026
Jeb Dunnuck, 96 Points A blockbuster of a Les Forts. Deep ruby/plum hue followed by textbook Latour notes of currants, melted crayon, graphite, and lead pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, dense, and concentrated on the palate, with a powerful structured mouthfeel, remarkable purity, perfectly ripe tannins, and a great, great finish. It might be the finest Les Forts I've tasted. Hitting 13.1% alcohol, it's approachable today yet has another 30 years of longevity. Drink 2026-2056.
James Suckling, 96 Points Blue fruits and lead pencil come through here. Medium to full body. Firm and silky tannins and a crisp and citrusy finish. Nice zest. Floral and fruity. Al dente fruit. Needs four or five years to show its excellence. Try after 2028.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 95 Points The 2020 Les Forts de Latour is superb. Hints of gravel, dried herbs, game and licorice weave through a core of dark red/purplish fruit. Spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco follow. The purity of the flavors is just striking. Initially a touch reticent, the 2020 fleshes out beautifully with a bit of air. I would give this at least another year or two in bottle. A magnificent Forts de Latour.
Les Forts de Latour is widely considered the finest second wine produced in Bordeaux, and the 2020 vintage may be its greatest expression yet. Antonio Galloni of Vinous called it outright the finest Les Forts he has ever tasted, awarding 95 points. Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling both landed at 96. Made with the same philosophy and precision as the Grand Vin, sourced from dedicated parcels adjacent to Latour's historic l'Enclos and aged in new French oak, this is a Pauillac that routinely outperforms its classification and competes with classified growths from across the Médoc.
The 2020 opens with currants, graphite, lead pencil, gravel, dried herbs, cedar, and sweet pipe tobacco. The palate is medium to full-bodied, dense, and concentrated, with a powerful structured mouthfeel, remarkable purity, and perfectly ripe tannins that build toward a long, clean finish. Despite that density, there is a freshness and approachability here that makes it accessible earlier than many Les Forts vintages, with Galloni projecting a drinking window through 2056.
The 2020 Les Forts de Latour carries the DNA of one of the world's great estates at a fraction of the price of the Grand Vin, and it is one of the first releases from the estate to carry full organic certification. If you want to experience what Latour's winemaking team achieves in a landmark vintage with a cork you can actually pull in the near term, this is where you start.
Available in OWC 6. Estimated arrival late fall / early winter.
Scores: 96 JD | 96 JS | 95 Vinous Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26.5% Merlot, 3.5% Petit Verdot Appellation: Pauillac Drinking Window: 2026-2056
| Color | Red |
|---|---|
| JD Score | 96 |
| JS Score | 96 |
| VM Score | 95 |
| Vintages | 2020 |
| Sizes | 750ml |
