Château Latour

Château Latour is a grand cru classé wine estate in Pauillac, in the Médoc region of Bordeaux's Left Bank. The site has been occupied since at least 1331, when a fortified tower, Tor à Saint-Lambert, was constructed by Gaucelme de Castillon to guard the Gironde estuary during the Hundred Years' War. That original medieval tower was destroyed and, in the 1620s, a circular tower called La Tour de Saint-Lambert was built on the estate; this is the structure depicted on every Latour label to this day. Vines have been cultivated on the site since the 14th century, and the estate's international reputation was cemented under the de Ségur family during the 18th century. In 1855, Latour was selected as one of the four original First Growths in the Bordeaux Classification, a position it has held without interruption.

• Site occupied since at least 1331; estate records date to at least 1378; vines cultivated since the 14th century
• Circular tower La Tour de Saint-Lambert, built in the 1620s, replaced the original medieval fortress and remains the estate's iconic symbol on every label
• Classified as one of the four original Premier Cru (First Growth) estates in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification; five first growths today following Mouton Rothschild's elevation in 1973
• Located at the southeastern tip of the Pauillac appellation, on the border with Saint-Julien, a few hundred metres from the Gironde estuary

In 1963, the de Ségur heirs sold three-quarters of Château Latour to British interests led by the Pearson Group, ushering in a transformational era of modernisation. This included replacing old wooden fermentation vats with stainless steel temperature-controlled tanks, making Latour the first of the First Growths to adopt this technology. Allied Lyons acquired full majority ownership in 1989, before French billionaire François Pinault purchased the estate in 1993, bringing it under his holding company, now known as Artémis Domaines. Frédéric Engerer took over management of the estate in 1995 and has overseen continuous quality improvements across the vineyard and cellar. In 2012, Latour made the landmark decision to withdraw from Bordeaux's en primeur futures system, instead releasing wines only when considered ready to drink, a strategy that requires storing large volumes at the château for a decade or more.

• Purchased by François Pinault in 1993 for approximately £86 million; now owned through Artémis Domaines, which also holds Clos de Tart, Domaine d'Eugénie, Château-Grillet, and Domaine Eisele Vineyard
• Frédéric Engerer has managed the estate since 1995, directing major improvements in viticulture and winemaking
• In 2012, Latour withdrew from the en primeur system, releasing wines only when deemed ready to drink, typically 10 to 15 years after the harvest for the Grand Vin
• First First Growth to modernise production with stainless steel fermentation vats, installed after the 1963 ownership change under Henri Martin and Jean-Paul Gardère

Château Latour's 78 hectares sit on the highest gravelly plateaus of Pauillac, a few hundred metres from the Gironde estuary. The heart of the estate is L'Enclos, a 47-hectare walled parcel whose boundaries have remained largely unchanged since a 1759 plan of the domaine. The soils in L'Enclos are complex: deep gravel and clay in the centre near the château provide power and structure, while the northern and southern edges have more clay and marl. The Gunzian gravel surface layer, roughly 60 to 100 centimetres deep, rests on a subsoil of clay and marl down to 5 metres, above a limestone bedrock. The proximity of the Gironde moderates temperature extremes. Vines in L'Enclos average around 60 years of age, with some centenarian plants. Since 2008, horse ploughing has been reintroduced to reduce soil compaction, and the entire estate achieved organic certification in 2019. Biodynamic farming methods are applied in selected parcels.

• L'Enclos: 47-hectare walled parcel, largely unchanged since 1759; vines average approximately 60 years of age, with some over 100 years old
• Soils: Gunzian gravel surface (60 to 100 cm) over clay and marl subsoil to 5 metres, above limestone bedrock; centre has deep gravel and clay, edges more clay and marl
• Estate-wide planting: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot; Merlot concentrated where clay is prominent
• Full organic certification achieved in 2019 across all 78 hectares; horse ploughing reintroduced in 2008; biodynamic methods applied in key parcels

Château Latour produces three red wines entirely from its Pauillac holdings. The Grand Vin is made exclusively from grapes grown in the L'Enclos parcel, vinified parcel by parcel in 80 temperature-controlled stainless steel vats ranging from 12 to 164 hectoliters. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat, and the Grand Vin is aged in 100% new French oak barrels for approximately 18 months. The typical blend is approximately 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, with the remainder Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, though the exact proportions vary significantly by vintage. Les Forts de Latour, first produced in 1966, is sourced from younger vines on the edge of L'Enclos and from plots outside the enclosure and aged in 50% new French oak. The third wine, Pauillac de Latour, introduced in 1989, uses fruit from younger vines not selected for the second wine. Each bottle leaving the estate carries Prooftag anti-counterfeiting seals on the capsule, label, and bottle, and is individually hand-wrapped in silk paper.

• Grand Vin: exclusively from L'Enclos; fermented parcel by parcel in 80 stainless steel vats; aged 18 months in 100% new French oak; approximately 18,000 cases per year
• Les Forts de Latour: produced since 1966; typically 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot; aged in 50% new French oak; approximately 11,000 cases per year
• Pauillac de Latour: third wine produced since 1989, from younger vines and fruit not selected for Les Forts de Latour
• Prooftag anti-counterfeiting seals on capsule, label, and bottle; individual silk paper wrapping standard for all releases

Château Latour has earned a reputation for remarkable consistency across challenging and exceptional vintages alike. The 1961 vintage is among the most celebrated in Bordeaux history, with an impériale format realising £135,000 at auction in 2011. Other landmark vintages include 1966, 1982, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, and 2010. In more recent years, the 2016 Grand Vin, a blend of 92.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7.1% Merlot, received 100-point scores from multiple leading critics. The 2018 vintage received 100 points from Wine Advocate. Young Latour presents imposing structure with firm, grainy tannins, concentrated blackcurrant, graphite, and mineral intensity. Most vintages require at least 15 years to begin opening; peak maturity is typically reached between 18 and 60 years after the vintage for top years.

• 1961: Among the most celebrated Bordeaux vintages; an impériale sold for £135,000 at auction in 2011
• 2016 Grand Vin: 92.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7.1% Merlot; received 100-point scores from multiple leading critics
• 2018 vintage received 100 points from Wine Advocate; 2009, 2003, and 2010 also achieved perfect scores from leading critics
• Optimal drinking window: best with at least 15 years of bottle age; peak maturity typically between 18 and 60 years after the vintage depending on the year

Since withdrawing from en primeur in 2012, Château Latour releases its wines through négociants and global merchants only when the estate considers them approaching readiness to drink, typically 10 to 15 years after harvest for the Grand Vin and 7 to 8 years for Les Forts de Latour. In 2015, the estate completed major renovations including new offices, tasting rooms, and cellars. Latour became the first estate in the Médoc to maintain a cellar devoted solely to large-format bottles dating back to 1900. All bottles released from the château carry Prooftag bubble security seals on the capsule, label, and bottle for full traceability, and are individually wrapped in silk paper. When purchasing, provenance documentation from the estate itself carries a premium, and expert auction houses with specialist authentication services are recommended for older vintages.

• Post-2012 releases: wines sold only when deemed ready to drink; Grand Vin typically released 10 to 15 years after vintage; second wine 7 to 8 years after vintage
• Prooftag anti-counterfeiting seals on capsule, label, and bottle ensure full traceability; individual silk paper wrapping is standard
• 2015 cellar renovation included the first Médoc cellar dedicated to large-format bottles dating back to 1900, enabling pristine ex-château provenance releases
• For older vintages (pre-1970), consult reputable specialist auction houses and require documented provenance; ex-château releases carry a provenance premium