Covering 78 hectares, chateau Latour sits on the southern edge of Pauillac, just a few hundred metres from the banks of the Gironde estuary. Its vineyards are mostly planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot comprising nearly a fifth of the plantings and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its grand vin comes from the vines in the chateau Latour’s immediate vicinity in an area known as L’Enclos. Its second wine, Les Forts de Latour, saw its inaugural release in 1966, followed by its third wine called Pauillac de Latour, which is usually made from fruit from younger vines.
Only the healthiest fruit at the peak of ripeness makes its way into the wines; de-stemming is carried out and fruit from each parcel is vinified in separate tanks. Those that pass stringent criteria for its grand vin are aged in new oak, while those that go into the second wine are aged in both new and seasoned barrels.
The grand vin’s vinification results in a wine that is bold, stylish and assertive — in every way most deserving of the acclaim critics lavish on it. While it can be appreciated in its youth for its power and strength, the wine holds great ageing potential, often displaying tremendous complexity and depth through decades of maturation.
This chateau Latour vertical collection, available at €200,000, offers to fine wine collectors and connoisseurs some of the most legendary offerings the estate has ever produced. Comprising one bottle of each vintage spanning 1945 to 2010, it also affords an opportunity to appreciate the evolution of this prestigious first growth through the latter half of the 20th century.
