Category Archives: Louis Latour

Here is the second part of my notes on the tasting I attended featuring the wines of Maison Louis Latour.  The theme was Summer in Burgundy and the introduction of the 2022 vintage.

I spoke to Eléanore Latour, the Vice President about the 2022 vintage in Burgundy. She said both the whites and the reds hold a pleasant freshness as the grapes benefited from the right degree of ripeness. The well structured whites reached the perfect balance between acidity and concentration. The reds reveal fruity and spicy notes with silky tannins and the finish is elegant.  The wines are well balanced, fruity, concentrated and will age nicely. The vineyards held up remarkably well against the  summer heat, which contributed to the juiciness of the grapes without drying them. This vintage will be remembered as one of the best.

I also spoke with Florent Latour the CEO of Maison Louis Latour about the wines and Burgundy in general.

On average the vines are 35 years old and 2% of the vines are renewed every year. They safeguard traditional practices such as the use of horses for ploughing. No insecticides, weed killer, or chemical fertilizer are used.

The result of a long history, Burgundy and its wines are known worldwide. Pinot Noir is a native grape variety of the area. Bourgogne Pinot Noir is the regional appellation whose wines can come from any part of Burgundy.Last week, I wrote about the white wines of Maison Louis Latour.  Here is my my impression of the reds.  All of the red wines are 100% Pinot Noir.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022 Region Bourgogne.  This wine exhibits the characteristics of the great Burgundy reds.  The average age of the vines is 25 years and the soil is clay and limestone. Grapes are hand picked. Traditional fermentation in open vats. Aging is for 10 to 12 months in stainless steel vats. The wine has hints of cherry, spice, licorice and red currants. The wine should be drunk within 5 years but could last longer. $25

Region: Côte Beaune

Marsannay 2020. Marsannay is the village which marks the northern gateway to the Côte d’Or when leaving Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, and home to the Ducs de Bourgogne. This village marks the beginning of the Route des Grands Crus which follows the N6 highway through the Côte d’Or. Wines from Marsannay are generally lively and robust; characteristics that come from the rich iron soil. Marsannay received its Appellation Contrôlée in 1987 in recognition of its consistently high quality wine. The average age of the vines is 10 years and the soil is clay and limestone. Grapes are hand picked. Traditional fermentation in open vats with complete malolactic fermentation. Aging is in stainless steel vats for 10 to 12 months. The wine has hints of blueberries, cherries, strawberries and a touch of spice. This wine is approachable now and I liked it as soon as I tasted it. However it will get even better in a few more years. $42

Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Domaine Latour 2021.  Aloxe-Corton has been the home of the Latour family and the heart of Domaine Louis Latour for centuries. The village of Aloxe-Corton is located in the north of Côte de Beaune on a stony hillside at the foot of the hill of Corton.  The name of the climat Corton was added to the village name Aloxe in 1862. The vineyards of Domaine Louis Latour surround this famous village and yield a classic Aloxe-Corton. The average age of the vines is 30 years and the soil is limestone, alluvial sand and gravel. The grapes are hand harvested. Traditional fermentation takes place in open vats. Aging is in oak barrels 15% new for 10 to 12 months. Louis Latour cooperage, French oak, medium toasted. The wine has hints of cherry, cassis, licorice, spice and a touch of blueberries. $75. It will last but it is drinking very well right now.

Beaune 1er Cru “Vignes Franches” 2020.  Historically the owners of this area did not have to pay tax on the land, hence the name “Vignes Franches” meaning free vines. The Beaune Premier Cru “Vignes Franches” parcel, an important part of Domaine Louis Latour, is found mid-slope. The clay soils are scattered with small pebbles which allows for easy drainage of water. It has the same opulence as in neighboring Pommard, as well as an extremely pleasant fruit-forwardness even when young. It is one of the best Premier Cru vineyards of Beaune, producing a wine that is capable of aging to perfection for a considerable period of time. Average age of the vines is 35 years and the soil is clay and limestone. Fermentation in traditional open vats with complete malolactic fermentation. Aging in oak barrels 25% new. Louis Latour cooperage, French oak, medium toast. The wine has hints of black cherry, rhubarb, currants, with  a touch of rosemary and a note of violets.  This is a structured wine that will age.

Pommard 1er Cru “Epnots” 2018.   The village of Pommard is comfortably sandwiched between the town of Beaune and the village of Volnay. In contrast to the wines of its close neighbors, those of Pommard tend to be fuller, more tannic and expansive in the mouth, similar to those of the Côte de Nuits. This area was named “Epenots”, coming from “épine” (thorn or prickle), as a result of the natural vegetation of the area which was bush-like and thorny. The “Epenots” is solid and firm in its youth and needs time to mature and mellow out before revealing its full glory. The average age of the wines is 30 years and the soil is clay and limestone. Traditional fermentation in open tanks. Aging in oak barrels, 35% new for 10 to 12 months. Louis Latour cooperage, French oak, medium toast. The wine has hints of blackberry, plum, cherry, coffee, spice. This is a very impressive wine and will age for 10 years and more. $142

Château Corton Gracey Grand Cru 2019.  “Grancey” was the name of the last owners of the chateau situated on the road of Corton, before the Latour family bought it in 1891. This wine is unique and exclusive. It is a blend of five areas of Domaine Latour Corton Grand Cru: Bressandes, Perrières, Grèves, Clos du Roi and Chaumes, the proportions of which vary depending on the vintage. The average age of the vines is over 40 years. After aging individually, only the best barrels are assembled to create the Château Corton Grancey. It is a wine that is produced only if the grapes are of a perfect maturity.  Vintages judged inferior are systematically declassified. The average age of the vines is 40 years and the soil is marl and limestone. Hand harvested. Traditional fermentation in open vats. Aging in oak barrels 35 %new for 10 t0 12 months. Louis Latour cooperage, French oak, medium toast. The wine has hints of cherry, strawberry red currants, subtly spiced with a touch of jasmine. The wine will age for another 10 to 15 years or more. It is an outstanding red Burgundy and I am very happy I was able to taste it. $190

Note: In 1997, Maison Louis Latour celebrated its bicentennial and was admitted to the Henokiens Club, select circle of companies that have remained in founding family ownership for at least 200 years and still bear the name of their founder.

Maison Louis Latour is a wine company with a very long history.  Founded in 1797, the owners have made it a point of honor to remain independent and family owned. The current head of the company is Florent Latour, Chief Executive Officer.

In keeping with tradition Mr. Latour prepares the next generation to take over.

Eléonore Latour started her training as the 12 generation during the  2023 harvest under the guidance of her uncle Florent.  She is now the Vice President. I discussed the 2022 vintage with Eléonore but this will have to wait until Part II “The Red Wines.”

Domaine Louis Latour covers 48 hectare of vineyards from the red Grand Cru of Chambertin and Romané-Saint Vivant in the Côte de Nuits to the white Grand Cru of Croton-Charlemagne and Chevalier-Montrachet in the Côte de Beaune. Today Louis Latour’s vineyards represent the largest holdings of Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy.

At the tasting, it was mentioned that the company produces its own oak barrels in their cooperage.  Each one is a piece of fine craftsmanship, made from high quality French oak. The staves are seasoned slowly in the open air exposed to the elements over 36 months.

The White Wines

Pernan-Vergelesses 1er cru “En Caradeux” 2022 made from 100% Chardonnay. The village of Pernand-Vergelesses is located just 3km from Aloxe-Corton, and of all the villages that the Grand Cru hill of Corton looks over, this is the most picturesque. The parcel “En Caradeux,” located mid-slope and exposed to the East, faces the hill of Corton. These vines are worked traditionally by the winemakers of Domaine Louis Latour. The soil is stony and the basement is composed of marl and flint limestone which gives a typical particularity of this terroir. Soil is clay and limestone and the average age of the vines is 25 years.  Grapes are hand picked. Complete malolactic fermentation takes place in traditional oak barrels. The wine is aged 8 to 10 months in oak barrels 25% new. Barrels are from Louis Latour cooperage, French oak, medium roasted. Hints of acacia, almonds, hint of smoke, silky texture, citrus fruit and a hint of apple. $67

Meursault 2022 made from 100% Chardonnay.  Situated just south of Volnay and Pommard in the Côte de Beaune, Meursault is the most extensive southerly white wine commune of the Côte-d’Or. The perfect southeastern exposure and the stony, marl soil contribute greatly to the remarkable finesse of which the wines of Meursault are capable. Typical Meursault tend to be very full, mellow wines and mature somewhat sooner than the wines from the neighboring communes of Puligny and Chassagne. Soil is marl and limestone and the average age of the vines is 25 years. Hand harvested. There is complete malolactic fermentation in traditional oak barrels and the wine is aged 8 to 10 months in oak barrels of which 15% are new.  The wine has hints of yellow peach, ripe citrus fruit  toasted almond with a touch of spice. $97

Mâcon-Lugny “Les Genièvres” 2021 made from 100% Chardonnay. The village of Lugny is located high up in the south of the Mâcon region. It has a great reputation for its white wines, which has made Mâcon famous. It is well known that the village of Lugny, with its limestone soils and warm climate, produces the most coveted white wines of the region. The vineyard of “Les Genièvres” is one of the best. Maison Louis Latour selects the best grapes of this village, which thanks to its terroir, was the only village planted with Chardonnay 30 years ago. The average age of the vines is 30 years and the soil is clay and limestone. Harvest is mechanical. Traditional fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel vats with complete malolactic fermentation. Aging is for 8 to 10 months in stainless steel vats. The wine has hints of honeysuckle, citrus, apples a hint of pineapple and nutty notes. It is a wine to be drunk young. $23

Pouilly-Fuissè 2020  made from 100% Chardonnay.  Pouilly-Fuissé is the name of a village in the Mâconnais producing highly distinctive Chardonnay wine. The vineyards producing this wine are part of a breathtaking landscape where the limestone and heavy clay soils combine to create a unique terroir. The vines are over 30 years old and the soil is limestone and heavy clay. Harvest is manual. Fermentation is in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with complete malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 8 to 10 months in stainless steel vats. The wine has hints of yellow fruit, pear  peach, honeysuckle and apricot. Should be drunk within the next few years. $36

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Sous Le Puits” 2020 made from 100% Chardonnay. Home of some of the world’s most extraordinary Chardonnays including the famous Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet is the geographical middleman of the white wine villages, bordered by Meursault to the north and by Chassagne-Montrachet to the south. The vineyard of Puligny-Montrachet “Sous les Puits” has a southeasterly exposure and is situated at the top of the hill of Blagny, just above “La Garenne,” near a spring, hence the name of “Sous le Puits” (Under the Well). The average age of the vines is 35 years and the soil is clay and limestone. Grapes are picked by hand. Traditional fermentation in oak barrels with complete malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 8 to 10 months in oak barrels of which 50% are new. Louis Latour cooperage, French Oak medium toasted. The wine has hints of citrus, pear, apple, butterscotch, with a touch of honey and a subtle and long finish.  This wine will age for ten years of more. It is a very impressive wine. $135

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2018 made from 100% Chardonnay. After the ravages of the phylloxera epidemic at the end of the 19th century, the Latour family took the then unusual decision to tear up the dead Aligoté and Pinot Noir vines, and replace them with Chardonnay. This decision lead them to create one of Burgundy’s most celebrated white whites.
Today the Latour family owns 10.5 hectares which makes them the biggest owner in the appellation. The Latour’s Corton-Charlemagne vineyards are located on a prime section of the Corton hillside where the southeasterly aspect ensures maximum exposure to the sun. The fruit is harvested as late as possible to guarantee maximum ripeness. The soil is lime stone and the average age of the vines is 30 years. The grapes are handpicked as late as possible for maximum ripeness. Traditional fermentation is oak barrels with complete malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 8 to 10 months in 100% new oak barrels. Louis Latour cooperage, French oak, medium toasted. 2018 was an excellent vintage for these white Burgundy wines. This is a complex and full bodied wine with hints of honeysuckle, apples, mangoes, white peaches, a note of banana and a touch of hazelnuts. It has a very long finish and a wonderful aftertaste. This is an exceptional wine and was rated very highly by everyone. This wine can age but is drinking very nicely now. $229