2006 Les Forts de Latour

Perfectionist estate manager Frederic Engerer is probably harder on his own wines than critics are, and he was still agonizing over the young 2006 Latour in early April. Engerer described the harvest as tough (the estate's prime acreage surrounding the winery, called l'Enclos, was affected by some rot for the first time since 1993), as a full degree of potential alcohol was lost after September 10. The wine, says Engerer, stands out today more for its structure than its flesh. Engerer told me that the merlot lacked concentration and grip in 2006, despite the fact that potential alcohol levels had reached as high as 14.5% before the rains came, and was mostly declassified into Les Forts de Latour. "In 2005 and 2004, Latour and Les Forts de Latour are like brothers," said Engerer, "but in 2006 it's more like the big brother and the little sister." Engerer normally uses a good bit of Latour press wine in Les Forts de Latour "to gain length" but in 2006, he told me, it would have dominated the fruit of Les Forts. As to Latour, the index of total polyphenols (indice de polyphenols totaux), or IPT, was a very high 76 (compared to 72 in 2005), and no saignee was done. The grand vin includes a high 86% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot and 1% cabernet franc. Engerer believes the wine will smooth out somewhat in barrel "but it won't go from black to white." He believes the wine lacks the creamy texture of the 2005 "and even the 2004" but is buoyed by its whiplash of a finish. As in recent years, I rate Latour among the superstars of the vintage, although this vintage was hard to read in the early going.