The 2018 Les Forts de Latour, Ex-Chateau Release, is a Bordeaux Blend from the Pauillac sub-region of Bordeaux, France. Produced by Les Forts de Latour, this red wine, sealed with a cork closure, is a blend of 65.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 0.4% Petit Verdot. The wine has garnered significant attention and high praise from several esteemed wine reviewers.

James Suckling awarded it an impressive 95 points, describing it as "a solid and steely red with lots of blackcurrant and blueberry character" and noting its "flavorful finish" (jamessuckling.com). This sentiment is echoed by Jeff Leve, who also rated it 95 points, highlighting its "depth of color" and "layers of sweet, ripe, lush, intense, pure black currants" along with hints of citrus, cocoa, and tobacco (TheWineCellarInsider.com).

Wine Enthusiast's Roger Voss, who also gave it 95 points, commented on its "juicy black fruit flavor and firm tannins," calling it an "opulent yet well-structured" wine that "will age well" (Wine Enthusiast). Similarly, The Wine Independent granted it 95 points, emphasizing its "deep garnet-purple color" and powerful scents of "blackberry pie, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis," which meld into notes of sandalwood, Indian spices, and licorice (The Wine Independent).

Wine Spectator's review, which scored the wine 94 points, described it as a "gorgeous combination of cashmere and graphite" with "racy edged cassis and blackberry fruit" and additional nuances of "violet, anise, and black tea" (Wine Spectator). Antonio Galloni of Vinous also rated it 94 points, noting its "serious concentration" and "dark-toned fruit, gravel, incense, licorice, and scorched earth" (Vinous).

Decanter and Jane Anson both gave the wine 93 points. Decanter's review praised its "richly perfumed nose" and its "great sense of complexity, terroir, and minerality" (Decanter). Jane Anson highlighted its "classically muscular expression" and suggested a few more years of bottle aging to allow the wine to fully open up (janeanson.com).

Lastly, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, with a score of 92 points, mentioned its "aromas of creamy berries, licorice, red fruit compote, and toasty new oak," noting that its "youthful flesh is receding to reveal structure that will demand some patience to resolve" (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate).

Overall, the 2018 Les Forts de Latour is a highly regarded Bordeaux Blend with a robust profile, complex layers, and excellent aging potential.