Château Latour

A Premier Grand Cru Classé with a history dating back to 1331, Château Latour now covers 92 hectares, including 47 hectares in the famous l’Enclos. Under the leadership of François-Henri Pinault and CEO Frédéric Engerer, Latour stands out for its unique terroir, influenced by specific soil characteristics. Compared to Château Lafite Rothschild, Latour has more clay in its soil with deep gravel layers on limestone, resulting in a wine with texture, richness and concentration, and remarkable freshness. With 138 plots, Château Latour’s long history illustrates how even the largest estates maintain their position through determination.

The vineyard, divided between the Enclos, Les Forts de Latour and Pauillac, reflects a dedication to flavor over fixed grape percentages. Cabernet Sauvignon is dominant at 76%, Merlot at 22%, with the remainder being made up of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, depending on the vintage. Innovations in the vineyard include insect hotels and the avoidance of herbicides. Biodynamic treatments vary by plot and follow the lunar calendar.

A remarkable selection program preserves the genetic heritage of old Cabernet Sauvignon vines, planted in the 1950s, with a gene bank for several families of the variety. Latour broke with old practices by abandoning the En Primeur system in 2011, whereby the wine is now sold when it is ready to drink, approximately seven to eight years after the vintage for the grand vin and 10-15 years for Les Forts de Latour. This decision has set a trend in which more wineries are considering moving away from the En Primeur system. Château Latour remains an icon in the wine world, not only for its excellent wines but also for its determination to evolve, innovate and cherish its unique terroir.

The 2015 vintage was bottled in July 2017 and is blessed with a unique and refined bouquet. The share of Cabernet Sauvignon (97%!) overwhelms with a huge, almost exotic fruit dominated nose, but guarantees enormous potential. The Les Forst de Latour 2016, first produced in 1966, is a vintage that can compete at 2eme Cru Classé level. With 64.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.3% Merlot and 0.4% Cabernet Franc. Les Forst de Latour represents 37.5% of the total production of Château Latour and is 100% organic for the first time this year. Deeply coloured, concentrated fruit and a light smoky hint with enormous fine tannins.