Les Forts de Latour - Pauillac, Bordeaux 2010
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Château Latour is a wine estate in Pauillac, part of the Haut-Medoc sub-region on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. The estate’s history dates back to at least the 14th century, though vineyards were not established here until the 17th century. The estate is located at the southern edge of the Pauillac appellation, bordering the St Julien vineyards of Château Léoville Las Cases. Latour is one of the five First Growths of the 1855 classification, occupying the top tier alongside Châteaux Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Haut-Brion, and Mouton Rothschild.
Latour is owned by François Pinault, one of France’s wealthiest people. It forms the jewel in the crown of Pinault’s Artémis Domaines, itself part of the larger Groupe Artémis. Other wineries within the portfolio include Clos de Tart and Domaine d’Eugénie in Burgundy; Château Grillet in the Rhône Valley; Champagne Jacquesson; Eisele Vineyard in California’s Napa Valley; and Maisons et Domaines Henriot, which includes holdings in Champagne, Burgundy, and Oregon.
The day-to-day running of Latour is entrusted to the dynamic Frédéric Engerer. Under his stewardship, a major programme of investment has taken place. In 2012, Latour announced that it would no longer offer its wines as part of the Bordeaux En Primeur campaign. Instead, the wines are kept at the estate until such a time as they are ready to be opened and enjoyed. They are then offered through the La Place de Bordeaux distribution system several years after the vintage.
Les Forts de Latour is produced with the same meticulous care as the Grand Vin, both in the vineyard and in the winery. The only notable difference, apart from the origin of the grapes, is the proportion of new barrels (50 to 60%) used in the maturing stage. The blend for Forts de Latour can vary from one year to the next but there is always a higher proportion of Merlot (25 to 30%) compared to the Grand Vin.
Weather: 2010 is the driest year on record since 1949. But drought alone is not enough to shape a great vintage. The combination of warm days and cool nights helped produce wines with high alcohol, ripe, but strong tannins and low pH levels, giving the wines ample acidity to keep them fresh and vibrant.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: AOC Pauillac, Bordeaux
Grape Varieties: 72.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25.5% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.3%
Drink: Now to 2040+
Tasting Note: The 2010 Les Forts de Latour has a compelling bouquet with intense black fruit, black tea, graphite and subtle earthy aromas. There is wonderful precision here and it is amazingly well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a killer line of acidity, fanning out with confidence and chutzpah towards the finish that conveys an unerring sense of symmetry. What a fantastic 2010 Pauillac that will give decades of drinking pleasure. Tasted by Neal Martin
Latour is owned by François Pinault, one of France’s wealthiest people. It forms the jewel in the crown of Pinault’s Artémis Domaines, itself part of the larger Groupe Artémis. Other wineries within the portfolio include Clos de Tart and Domaine d’Eugénie in Burgundy; Château Grillet in the Rhône Valley; Champagne Jacquesson; Eisele Vineyard in California’s Napa Valley; and Maisons et Domaines Henriot, which includes holdings in Champagne, Burgundy, and Oregon.
The day-to-day running of Latour is entrusted to the dynamic Frédéric Engerer. Under his stewardship, a major programme of investment has taken place. In 2012, Latour announced that it would no longer offer its wines as part of the Bordeaux En Primeur campaign. Instead, the wines are kept at the estate until such a time as they are ready to be opened and enjoyed. They are then offered through the La Place de Bordeaux distribution system several years after the vintage.
Les Forts de Latour is produced with the same meticulous care as the Grand Vin, both in the vineyard and in the winery. The only notable difference, apart from the origin of the grapes, is the proportion of new barrels (50 to 60%) used in the maturing stage. The blend for Forts de Latour can vary from one year to the next but there is always a higher proportion of Merlot (25 to 30%) compared to the Grand Vin.
Weather: 2010 is the driest year on record since 1949. But drought alone is not enough to shape a great vintage. The combination of warm days and cool nights helped produce wines with high alcohol, ripe, but strong tannins and low pH levels, giving the wines ample acidity to keep them fresh and vibrant.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: AOC Pauillac, Bordeaux
Grape Varieties: 72.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25.5% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.3%
Drink: Now to 2040+
Tasting Note: The 2010 Les Forts de Latour has a compelling bouquet with intense black fruit, black tea, graphite and subtle earthy aromas. There is wonderful precision here and it is amazingly well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a killer line of acidity, fanning out with confidence and chutzpah towards the finish that conveys an unerring sense of symmetry. What a fantastic 2010 Pauillac that will give decades of drinking pleasure. Tasted by Neal Martin
