Château Latour Pauillac 1er Cru Classé 1986

Details

Driven by the development of Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur and a wealthy English bourgeoisie who loved fine wines, Château Latour gained considerable recognition. Its exceptional character earned it the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 imperial classification. Over time, the heirs of the Ségur family formed a civil company that remained at the helm of the estate until 1962. There, the shares were bought by two large British groups, Pearson and Allied Lyons. In 1993, François Pinault bought the shares of Allied Lyons via his holding company Artémis and has since enjoyed the position of majority shareholder. François Pinault completely reformed the Château, which was beginning to lose momentum. He thus initiated major works: the cellars, the vat room, and the winemaking systems were completely renovated during these works, which lasted 5 years. Significant changes have also been made to the vineyard, with the conversion to organic farming for all plots. Upon obtaining the label, Château Latour will become the first Premier Grand Cru Classé to produce organically.

The very essence of Pauillac is found on the lands of Château Latour: well-drained gravelly hillsides with a beautiful exposure. True to its terroir, the grape varieties are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), 15% Merlot, and also include small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot (5%). Of the 90 hectares of the vineyard, 47 hectares of historic vines located around the château produce the Grand Vin de Latour. This exceptional plot with its clay subsoil is called the Enclos. This Grand Vin has also been awarded a score of 100/100 by Robert Parker on several occasions: 1961, 1982, 2003, 2009 and 2010. Since 1966, Château Latour has also produced a second wine, no less refined: Les Forts de Latour. It should be noted that Château Latour is the only Premier Grand Cru classé to no longer sell its wines en primeur.