Cheateau Latour
Château Latour is situated in the Medoc region to the north of Bordeaux. Near to the small town of Pauillac on the Gironde river.
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 one of the world's greatest vineyards 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.
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.
Vineyard
The estate has 65 hectares of vineyard, and produces up to 40,000 cases of wine each year. The vines are 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and around 2 or 3% of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
The Château makes two principal wines, all red; in addition to its world famous "Grand Vin de Château Latour", sine 1966 it has produced "Les Forts de Latour". The Grand Vin is usually 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
Vintages
The greatest vintages are considered to be 1961, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2005.
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