Possibly the best second wine ever made at Latour (and I love how the 1982 is drinking at age 30), the 2009 Les Forts de Latour is composed of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot blended with a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot, and finished at 13.5% alcohol. Juicy notes of creme de cassis, licorice, camphor, smoke and crushed rocks are followed by a rich, unctuously textured, thick, juicy, exceptionally pure, long wine. This beauty will be at its finest in several years and should keep for three decades. Proprietor Francois Pinault and his director, Frederic Engerer, have pulled out all the stops to produce one of the most monumental Latour’s ever made. 95 points

The 2009 Les Forts de Latour shows the richness of the vintage in its dark, slightly roasted flavors. Ample and sumptuous in the glass, the 2009 drinks well now, but it also gives the impression of limited upside, so I would not hang on to it for more than a handful of years. Mocha, espresso, dark fruit and spi