Château Latour is a
French wineFrench wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year . France has the world's largest wine production ahead of Italy and the second-largest total vineyard area behind Spain...
estate, rated as a
First GrowthFirst Growth status refers to a classification of wines primarily from the Bordeaux region of France.-Bordeaux reds:The need for a classification of the best Bordeaux wines arose for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, a list...
under the
1855 Bordeaux ClassificationFor the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading...
. Latour lies at the very southeastern tip of the commune of
PauillacPauillac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-Wine:The commune consists of only 3000 acres of vineyards in the Haut-Médoc between the villages of Saint-Julien to the south and Saint-Estèphe to the north, but is home to three of Bordeaux's five first growth...
in the
MédocThe Médoc is a region of France, well-known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
region to the north-west of
Bordeauxis a port city on the Garonne River in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department...
, at its border with
Saint-JulienSaint-Julien-Beychevelle is a commune on the left bank of the Garonne estuary in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in south-western France, that produces red wine.-Wine:...
, and only a few hundred metres from the banks of the
GirondeGironde is a common name for the Gironde Estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
estuaryAn estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are thus subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of...
.
The estate produces three red wines in all. In addition to its
Grand vin, Latour has also produced the
second wineSecond wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
Les Forts de Latour since 1966, and a third wine, simply named Pauillac, has been released every year since 1990.
The site has been occupied since at least 1331 when Tor à Saint-Lambert was built by Gaucelme de Castillon, and the estate dating to at least 1378.
Château Latour is a
French wineFrench wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year . France has the world's largest wine production ahead of Italy and the second-largest total vineyard area behind Spain...
estate, rated as a
First GrowthFirst Growth status refers to a classification of wines primarily from the Bordeaux region of France.-Bordeaux reds:The need for a classification of the best Bordeaux wines arose for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, a list...
under the
1855 Bordeaux ClassificationFor the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading...
. Latour lies at the very southeastern tip of the commune of
PauillacPauillac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-Wine:The commune consists of only 3000 acres of vineyards in the Haut-Médoc between the villages of Saint-Julien to the south and Saint-Estèphe to the north, but is home to three of Bordeaux's five first growth...
in the
MédocThe Médoc is a region of France, well-known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
region to the north-west of
Bordeauxis a port city on the Garonne River in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department...
, at its border with
Saint-JulienSaint-Julien-Beychevelle is a commune on the left bank of the Garonne estuary in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in south-western France, that produces red wine.-Wine:...
, and only a few hundred metres from the banks of the
GirondeGironde is a common name for the Gironde Estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
estuaryAn estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are thus subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of...
.
The estate produces three red wines in all. In addition to its
Grand vin, Latour has also produced the
second wineSecond wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
Les Forts de Latour since 1966, and a third wine, simply named Pauillac, has been released every year since 1990.
History
The site has been occupied since at least 1331 when Tor à Saint-Lambert was built by Gaucelme de Castillon, and the estate dating to at least 1378. A
garrisonGarrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, of more than 50 men, but now often simply using it as a home base. The station is usually a city, town, fort, castle or similar...
fort was built 300 metres from the
estuaryAn estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are thus subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of...
to guard against attack during the
Hundred Years' WarThe Hundred Years' War was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne, which was vacant with the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings. The two primary contenders were the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known...
. The tower, the name mutating with time to La Tour en Saint-Mambert and Saint-Maubert, gave its name to the estate around the fortress and was in English hands until the
Battle of CastillonThe Battle of Castillon of 1453 was the last battle fought between the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War. This was the first battle in European history where cannons were a major factor in deciding the battle.-Context:...
in 1453, and its complete destruction by the forces of the King of France. The original tower no longer exists, but in the 1620s a circular tower (La Tour de Saint-Lambert) was built on the estate and though it is actually designed as a pigeon roost, it remains a strong symbol of the vineyard. Though two centuries apart, this building is said to have been constructed using the original edifice.
Vines have existed on the site since the 14th century, and Latour's wine received some early recognition, discussed as early as in the 16th century in
Essays by
MontaigneMichel Eyquem de Montaigne was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance. Montaigne is known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre...
. Near the end of the 16th century, the estate's several smallholdings had been accumulated by the de Mullet family into one property.
From 1670 began a lineage of connected family ownership not broken until 1963, when the estate was acquired by the de Chavannes family, and passed by marriage to the de Clauzel family in 1677. When Alexandre de Ségur married Marie-Thérèse de Clauzel, Latour became a part of his vast property, to which he also added Château Lafite in 1716, just prior to his death. In 1718 his son
Nicolas-Alexandre de SégurNicolas-Alexandre, marquis de Ségur was a Bordeaux wine maker who during his lifetime was known as the "Prince of Vines" due to his ownership of some of the most famous Bordeaux chateaus-including Château Lafite, Château Latour, Château Mouton and Château Calon-Ségur...
added
Château MoutonChâteau Mouton Rothschild is a wine estate located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc, 50 km north-west of the city of Bordeaux, France. Its red wine of the same name is regarded as one of the world's greatest clarets. Originally known as Château Brane-Mouton it was renamed by Nathaniel...
and
Château Calon-SégurChâteau Calon-Ségur is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus Classés in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855...
to his holdings and began producing wines of great quality. The widespread reputation of Latour emerged at the beginning of the 18th century when its status was established on export markets such as England, alongside chateaux Lafite,
MargauxChâteau Margaux, archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve Premier cru status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. Over several centuries it has retained its position as among the world's most prestigious and expensive wines...
and
PontacChâteau Haut-Brion is a Bordeaux wine estate, rated a First Growth in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, the only estate from outside Médoc to be included. It is located in Pessac, Graves near the city of Bordeaux...
,
With the death of Nicolas-Alexandre Ségur in 1755 the estate was divided among four daughters, three of whom inherited Latour in 1760, and with absent landlords, Latour was managed by a
regisseur charged with efficient administration and thorough correspondance with the owners. Receiving more care than under the late owner whose favourite had been Lafite, Latour improved in the later half of the century, and later became a favourite of
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States , the principal author of the Declaration of Independence , and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States...
, then minister to France, when he categorised La Tour de Ségur as a vineyard of first quality in 1787.
With the onset of the
French RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
, the property became divided. The Comte de Ségur-Cabanac fled France and his portion was auctioned off by the state in 1794, passing through several owners. The estate was not reunited until 1841, when the family succeeded in a ploy to put the estate up for sale, and eventually emerged after an auction having regained the 20% shares owned by
négociantA négociant is the French term for a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name....
s Barton, Guestier and Johnston. The
Société Civile de Château Latour was formed in 1842, exclusive to the family, who then had become shareholders.
Ahead of the International Exhibition in Paris, the selection of Latour as one of the four First Growths in the Classification of 1855 consolidated its reputation, and ensured its high prices. The present château was completed in 1864.
Modern history
In 1963 the estate finally left the Ségur family, then named de Beaumont, when the heirs sold three-quarters of the Château Latour shares to the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
interests of the
Pearson GroupPearson plc is a London-based education and media conglomerate. It is the largest book publisher in the UK, India, Australia and New Zealand, and the second largest in the US and Canada. Marjorie Scardino has been CEO since 1997. The headquarters for Pearson is at 80 Strand, the former Shell Mex...
under control of Lord Cowdray, with shares owned by
Harvey's of BristolJohn Harvey & Sons is a wine merchant, started by John Harvey in Bristol, England in 1796, and specialising in importing Spanish and Portuguese wines. During the 1860s and 1880s, in the company's cellars John Harvey II and his brother Edward Harvey developed the world’s first cream sherry now...
.
Henri MartinHenri Martin was a French winemaker who for forty years served as mayor of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle in Médoc, became cited as the person responsible for reviving the ancient fame of the village, owned and managed a number of prominent French wine estates, and became considered a legendary figure...
and Jean-Paul Gardère were appointed as managers which brought about substantial innovations. Investments were made in research, vineyards were expanded by acquisition and replanting, the
chai was extended and Latour became the first of the first growths to modernise their whole production, replacing the old oak fermenting vats with
stainless steelIn metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox, is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 11% chromium content by mass. Stainless steel does not stain, corrode, or rust as easily as ordinary steel...
temperature-controlled vats. The second wine with fruit from younger vines was initiated, and fruit for the
grand vin was decided to come exclusively from the vineyards shown on the plan of the domain from 1759. Martin and Gardère formally resigned from the Conseil d'Administration in 1987, ending a 24-year era.
In 1989 Latour was purchased by Allied Lyons for around £110 million, but in 1993 returned to French ownership when bought by businessman
François PinaultFrançois Pinault is a billionaire French businessman who runs the retail company PPR. He is a friend of former French President Jacques Chirac...
for £86 million when it became part of his holding company Groupe Artemis.
In December 2008 it was reported that the investment bank
LazardLazard Ltd is the parent company of Lazard Group LLC, a global, independent and one of the world's largest investment banks with approximately 2,300 employees in 39 cities across 24 countries throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, Central and South America...
was offering the estate for sale.
The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
speculated that among the interested parties were wine mogul
Bernard MagrezBernard Magrez is a French wine magnate who predomiantly owns Bordeaux wine estates, including Château La Tour Carnet and Château Pape Clément , but also a large number of wine producing properties in other French wine regions and other countries, including Spain, Chile, Argentina and California.A...
, with actors
Gérard DepardieuGérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor. He has won a number of honors including a nomination for an Academy Award for the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac and the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in Green Card....
and
Carole BouquetCarole Bouquet is a French actress and fashion model, who has appeared in more than 40 films since 1977. Bouquet was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
, in a transaction which would bring one of the four first growths under the control of a resident Bordelais for the first time in several decades.
Production
The estate has of
vineyardA vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture....
, of which a portion near the château is named l'Enclos, where fruit exclusive to the
grand vin is grown. The composition of grape varieties is 80%
Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, 18%
MerlotMerlot is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum, and currant...
, and 2% of
Cabernet FrancCabernet Franc is one of the major red grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon...
and
Petit VerdotPetit verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
.
The
grand vin Chateau Latour, typically a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, with the remainder Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, normally has an annual production of 18,000 cases. The second wine Les Forts de Latour, typically 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, has an average annual production of 11,000 cases.
External links