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History
The site has been occupied since at least the early 14th century, and in the late 14th century a garrison fort was built 300 metres from the estuary to guard against attack during the Hundred Years' War. This tower, the Saint-Maubert Tower or La Tour en Saint-Maubert, gave its name to the estate around the fortress and was in English hands until the Treaty of Castillon in 1453.
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 remains a strong symbol of the vineyard.
Although vines have existed on the site since the 14th century, Latour's history as a widely reputable vineyard began in the late 17th century when it was inherited by Alexandre de Ségur, who added Château Lafite in 1716. In 1718 his son Nicolas-Alexandre expanded his holdings by purchasing Château Mouton and Château Calon-Ségur and began producing wines of great quality.[1]
Although lagging behind Château Lafite in terms of standing, the wines of Latour grew in stature and by 1800 were worth twenty times that of standard Bordeaux. Its classification as one of the four First Growths in 1855 assured its continued success and in the 1860s the present château was built.
In 1963 the estate finally left the Ségur family when its heirs sold three-quarters of the Château Latour shares to the British companies Harveys of Bristol and the Pearson Group. In 1989 it was purchased by Allied Lyons for around £110 million, and in 1993 returned to French ownership when bought by businessman François Pinault for £86 million.
Latour was the first of the First Growths to modernize their whole production, replacing the old oak fermenting vats with stainless steel in the 1960s.
Production
The estate has 78 hectares of vineyard, of which 47 hectares near the château are termed l'Enclos. The composition of grape varieties is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 2% of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.[2]
The Grand vin Chateau Latour, typically 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, with the balance 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.[2]
Awards
- The 1990 vintage of Château Latour was chosen as Wine Spectator magazine's Wine of the Year for 1993.
In popular culture
- In the Simpsons episode "Co-Dependent's Day", Homer and Marge order wine at Moe's Tavern and Moe can only offer an 1886 Latour, which he was about to throw out. He charges four dollars for two glasses prior to looking up the bottle value in a wine guide.
- In the videogame Return to Castle Wolfenstein, a '38 Latour is a health booster device found in secret locations.
- In the 2007 Pixar film Ratatouille, Chef Skinner attempts to learn Linguini's cooking secret by plying him with a '61 Latour.
References
- ^ H. Johnson & J. Robinson. The World Atlas of Wine, p. 88, Mitchell Beazley Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1840003324.
- ^ a b Kissack, Chris, thewinedoctor.com. "Chateau Latour".
External links
- Château Latour official site (French) (English) (Japanese)
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