The 2016 Les Forts de Latour, the second wine of Château Latour in Pauillac, delivers a notably serious expression of the estate in a vintage that suits its structured style. The blend is 64.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.3% Merlot, and 0.4% Cabernet Franc, and it was aged in 50% new oak; listed alcohol is 13.5%. This was also the first year Latour completed conversion to organic viticulture across the estate (certification followed in 2018).

Across the board, reviews are excellent, with multiple 95–96 point scores that place it at the top of the second-wine category in 2016. James Suckling gives 96 points and emphasizes aromatic lift and length, citing “blueberries, ripe blackberries, violets, peppercorns, olives and cloves,” with “firm, fleshy tannins” and a “layered and long” finish, recommending to “drink after 2023.” Jeb Dunnuck (95) is similarly emphatic, calling it “the best wine in the vintage” and praising “classic Latour character” with “blackcurrants, saddle leather, lead pencil shavings, and dried flowers,” adding it is “perfectly balanced” and set to drink well for “another 2+ decades.”

The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley (95) frames it as a classic, cellar-worthy Pauillac: “concentrated and tightly wound,” with “lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins,” concluding it is “impeccably balanced” and “worth a special effort to seek out.” Decanter (95) highlights both power and harmony, noting “generous” tannins that are “juicy and plump,” and a “long finish with the flavours going on and on.”

Neal Martin for Vinous (95) points to purity and definition—“extremely pure and floral… cassis”—with a “beautifully balanced” palate and enough backbone to reward patience. Wine Spectator (94) finds it “a bit fleshier and more caressing than a typical Pauillac,” but with clear grip and finish purity, advising 2023–2035.