Chateau Latour is a fascinating place. Steeped in history, it served as a garrison in the 1300’s.
Wine has been produced here since the 1600’s and it has the distinction of being one of the 1855 Classified First Growths. It is also however, a leader in modernity and innovation in the Bordeaux region and my visit to the winery showed both sides to fine advantage.
The iconic tower that can be seen from the road as well as on any Latour bottle was originally constructed in the 1330’s.The current tower was built in the early 1600’s after the original was destroyed. The entrance into the winery itself is far more modern. The walkway into the main building is the top of a massive underground aging facility which was built in 2012 when Mr. Francois Pinault, the current owner of the winery decided that Latour wines would no longer be sold in primeur but would be held until the winery felt they should be released. One of the few in Bordeaux to go this route, and the only first growth to do so, it will be interesting to see how the market reacts to the change. The 2006 Latour is now on release and there has been some release of the 2012 second wine Forts de Latour.
The winery features some excellent rather avant garde artwork and the descent into the cellars is by modern elevator. The pictures below show some of the contrasts between the modern and traditional aspects. Watching traditional racking done by hand by candlelight and then entering the high security wine library where vintages dating back to 1900 are stored was a true privilege. The tasting room is modern; white and stainless steel with loads of windows overlooking the vineyards.
2018 will be the first Latour vintage that is completely organic and production will likely be low as the entire region was badly hit by powdery mildew this year. Most vines appeared to have 1-2 bunches of quality grapes, dried grapes rotting on the ground was a constant sight in many Bordeaux vineyards this year. Another consistent theme in many top properties seems to be the move away from using Cabernet Franc. Latour itself will eliminate Cabernet Franc from its wines as of the 2018 vintage.
Latour has three wines – its Chateau Latour first wine; Les Forts de Latour second wine; and a third wine Le Pauillac de Chateau Latour, made with younger vines in every vintage since 1989.
The Les Forts is often made with grapes from the same plots as the Grand Vin, the major difference is the percentage of new oak used in the Grand Vin is higher, as is the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. All three of the wines we sampled were from 2008 and exhibited a richness and purity of fruit and a complexity that seemed to echo my sense of the property itself – Old World elegance combined with a modern and sophisticated profile.
