Big news, folks.

Today’s the release day of the 2017 vintage of Château Latour, and we can tell you right off: it's drinking well already. Wonderfully well, in fact.

Jane Anson, in her 98-point paean to it, called it a wine with "real lyricism ... beautifully layered, with muscles that have a cushion of air underneath them," and that's a perfect encapsulation of its power and expressiveness. You're going to fall hard for this one, trust us.

We're proud to be able to bring it to you, along with the potential 96-point 2018 vintage of Château Latour’s "second wine," Les Forts de Latour, which, at a best price of less than $250, is simply a STEAL. Jeb Dunnuck called it a "brilliant second wine" that "competes with most estates’ top wines ... Rich, full-bodied, concentrated, and yet still perfectly balanced." Do not sleep on this, folks.

Latour has long been a revered property, but, since 2012, it has also distinguished itself as something of a maverick in the high-stakes world of French wine. That was the year the estate announced that it would be breaking with Bordeaux's en primeur system, whereby collectors and retailers purchase Bordeaux Futures. Instead, the château would release the wines on its own, and only when its winemaker deemed them ready for consumption. 

Many connoisseurs hailed the estate for its brave power move, believing it to be both a demonstration of Latour's unwavering commitment to its wine and a devoted show of commitment to its collectors, who would get to experience those wines as they should be: perfectly cellared with age.

Until the date of release, the wines are kept in pristine condition in Latour's cellars, and are proof-tagged for authentication.

That includes Les Forts de Latour, which for us, and for many collectors, is a Grand Cru Classé quality wine – another interpretation of the powerful terroir upon which Latour has built its legendary reputation, and one that collectors have lined up for since its inception in 1966. 

Named after a historic plot in the famous Enclos vineyard, central to the mystique and pedigree of Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour is produced with the same meticulous care as the Grand Vin. Subtle differences differentiate Les Forts from the original Grand Vin of Château Latour – among them, less use of new oak and slightly different varietal proportions. As of 2007, all bottles of Latour have a prooftag authenticator capsule seal: a unique 13-number code to protect the provenance and authenticity of the bottles. 

Though we count ourselves fortunate to have been able to secure a healthy allocation of these exceptional releases for our Concierge Family, we do anticipate that the wines will go quickly. So don't delay. As always, we don’t require an order minimum, but just be aware that all orders in six-bottle increments will be delivered in their original wooden cases.