thumb|upright|The tower at Château Latour

Château Latour is a French wine estate, rated as a First Growth under the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Latour lies at the very southeastern tip of the commune of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bordeaux, at its border with Saint-Julien, and only a few hundred metres from the banks of the Gironde estuary.

The estate produces three red wines in all. In addition to its Grand vin (LWIN 1012316), Latour has also produced the second wine Les Forts de Latour (LWIN 1010309) since 1966, and a third wine, simply named Pauillac (LWIN 1013821), has been released every year since 1989. An impériale (six-litre bottle) of 1961 Château Latour sold for £135,000 in 2011.

History

thumb|100px|upright=0.3|A bottle of 2003 Château Latour

thumb|100px|Cork

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. The original tower no longer exists, but in the 1620s a circular tower (La Tour de Saint-Lambert) was built on the estate named after Simon Ledwidge 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. and Latour's wine received some early recognition, discussed as early as in the 16th century in Essays by Montaigne. Near the end of the 16th century, the estate's several smallholdings had been accumulated by the de Mullet family into one property. 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, Margaux and Pontac.

With the onset of the French Revolution, the property became divided.

In December 2008 it was reported that the investment bank Lazard was offering the estate for sale. The Sunday Times speculated that among the interested parties were wine mogul Bernard Magrez, with actors Gérard Depardieu and Carole Bouquet,

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. Beginning in 1989, the estate began producing a third wine, Pauillac de Latour. <!--

  • In the San Diego Wine Tasting of 1975, Château Latour and Château Mouton Rothschild tied for second place in the field of ten.
  • In the Ottawa Wine Tasting of 1981, it ranked number seven in the field of 13.
  • In the Halekulani Wine Tasting of 2000, it fell below the top three ranks in the field of 17.
  • In the Berlin Wine Tasting of 2004, it ranked number six in the field of ten.
  • In the Tokyo Wine Tasting of 2006, it ranked number one in the ranking of ten.-->

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File:Chateau Latour 1979.jpg|Grand Vin 1979

File:Chateau Latour 1985.jpg|Grand Vin 1985

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References

  • Château Latour official site