Les Forts de Latour 2017 is the second wine of Château Latour, the Pauillac First Growth, and it’s built in a more immediately approachable style than the grand vin while still carrying clear Latour signatures. The blend is precisely reported as 65.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, and 0.8% Cabernet Franc, and the wine is typically raised in about 50–60% new French oak—serious élevage for a second label.

Across reviews, 2017 comes through as classically structured but notably fresh. Wine Enthusiast (94 points) calls it “bold” and “structured,” “packed with blackberry fruits and ripe tannins,” with Cabernet giving “a crisp edge to the solid backbone.” They are firm on patience: “Don’t drink before 2023.” Wine Spectator (93 points) similarly stresses energy and definition, describing it as “bright and fresh,” with “floral, cassis and plum aromas and flavors allied to a sleek, iron-tinged frame,” and a finish where “the minerality blossoms,” recommending it “Best from 2022 through 2038.”

Lisa Perrotti-Brown for The Wine Palate delivers one of the standout notes and an excellent 94-point review, highlighting precision and texture: “fantastically ripe, ever-so-fine-grained tannins,” “beautiful tension,” and an “impressive length” marked by “mineral and floral sparks.” Her aromatic set—black raspberry, mulberry, blackcurrant, lilac, iron ore, truffle, and fallen leaves—captures the wine’s layered, mineral-leaning profile.

Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider, 93 points) emphasizes approachability relative to Latour’s reputation for firmness, noting “ripe, sweet tannins” and “juicy, fresh cassis,” finishing with “plenty of fruit and cigar wrapper,” adding that the tannins are “soft enough” to enjoy “in a few years,” while still set to age well.

Overall, Les Forts de Latour 2017 reads as a polished, Cabernet-led Pauillac with ripe tannins, iron/mineral accents, and the structure to reward cellaring.