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{{Short description|Chateau of Bordeaux}}
[[File:Château La Tour.jpg|thumb|upright|The tower at Château Latour]]
'''Château Latour''' is a [[French wine]] estate, rated as a [[First Growth]] under the [[Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855|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-Beychevelle|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'' ([[London International Vintners Exchange|LWIN]] 1012316), Latour has also produced the [[second wine]] Les Forts de Latour ([[London International Vintners Exchange|LWIN]] 1010309) since 1966, and a third wine, simply named Pauillac ([[London International Vintners Exchange|LWIN]] 1013821), has been released every year since 1989. An ''[[impériale]]'' (six-litre bottle) of 1961 Château Latour sold for £135,000 in 2011.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13584532 | work=[[BBC News]] | title=Bottle of Bordeaux wine sells for £135,000 at Christie's | date=May 28, 2011}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:ChateauLatour03.jpg|thumb|100px|upright=0.3|A bottle of 2003 Château Latour]]
[[File:Château Latour 2003 Cork.jpg|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.<ref name=wd-cl/> A [[garrison]] fort was built 300 metres from the [[estuary]] to guard against attack during the [[Hundred Years' War]]. The tower, the name mutating with time to La Tour en Saint-Mambert and Saint-Maubert,<ref name=wd-cl/> gave its name to the estate around the fortress and was in English hands until the [[Battle of Castillon]] in 1453, and its complete destruction by the forces of the King of France.<ref name=BDP>{{cite book|last =Peppercorn |first =David |title =Bordeaux |publisher = Mitchell Beazley |year =2003 |location =London| isbn= 1-84000-927-6|pages =163–169 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=wd-cl/>

Vines have existed on the site since the 14th century,<ref name=OCW-lat>{{Cite encyclopedia |editor-first=Jancis |editor-last=Robinson |encyclopedia=[[The Oxford Companion to Wine]] |title=Latour, Chateau |url=http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=1737 |edition=2nd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506045522/http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=1737 |archive-date=2009-05-06 }}</ref> and Latour's wine received some early recognition, discussed as early as in the 16th century in ''Essays'' by [[Michel de Montaigne|Montaigne]].<ref name=ALE>{{cite book|last =Lichine |first =Alexis |title =Alexis Lichine's Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits |publisher = Cassell & Company Ltd |year =1967 |location =London|pages =220–221 }}</ref> Near the end of the 16th century, the estate's several [[smallholding]]s had been accumulated by the de Mullet family into one property.<ref name=OCW-lat/>

From 1670 began a lineage of connected family ownership not broken until 1963,<ref name=BDP/> when the estate was acquired by the de Chavannes family, and passed by marriage to the de Clauzel family in 1677. When Alexandre de Ségur married Marie-Thérèse de Clauzel, Latour became a part of his vast property, to which he also added [[Château Lafite]] in 1716, just prior to his death. In 1718 his son [[Nicolas-Alexandre, marquis de Ségur|Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur]] added [[Château Mouton Rothschild|Château Mouton]] and [[Château Calon-Ségur]] to his holdings and began producing wines of great quality.<ref name="Johnson atlas pg 88">{{cite book|author1=Johnson, Hugh |author2=Robinson, Jancis |title= The World Atlas of Wine |page= 88 |publisher= Mitchell Beazley |year=2005 |isbn= 1-84000-332-4 }}</ref> 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, [[Château Margaux|Margaux]] and [[Château Haut-Brion|Pontac]].<ref name=wd-cl/><ref name=BDP/>

With the death of Nicolas-Alexandre Ségur in 1755 the estate was divided among four daughters, three of whom inherited Latour in 1760,<ref name=OCW-lat/> and with absent landlords, Latour was managed by a ''regisseur'' charged with efficient administration and thorough correspondence with the owners.<ref name=wd-cl/> Receiving more care than under the late owner whose favourite had been Lafite, Latour improved in the later half of the century, and later became a favourite of [[Thomas Jefferson]], then minister to France, when he categorised La Tour de Ségur as a vineyard of first quality in 1787.<ref>{{cite book| last = Jefferson | first = Thomas | title = Memoirs, Correspondence, and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson | year = 1829 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/memoirscorrespo01jeffgoog/page/n157 152]–154 | url = https://archive.org/details/memoirscorrespo01jeffgoog |format=PDF}}</ref>

With the onset of the [[French Revolution]], the property became divided.<ref name=ALE/> The Comte de Ségur-Cabanac fled France and his portion was auctioned off by the state in 1794, passing through several owners. The estate was not reunited until 1841, when the family succeeded in a plot to put the estate up for sale, and eventually emerged after an auction having regained the 20% shares owned by ''[[négociant]]s'' Barton, Guestier and Johnston.<ref name=BDP/> The ''Société Civile de Château Latour'' was formed in 1842,<ref name=ALE/> exclusive to the family, who then had become shareholders.<ref name=wd-cl/>

Ahead of the International Exhibition in Paris, the selection of Latour as one of the four First Growths in the Classification of 1855 consolidated its reputation, and ensured its high prices. The present château was completed in 1864.<ref name=wd-cl/><ref name=BDP/>

===Modern history===
[[Image:Latour 1931 chateau card.JPG|thumb|left|180px|Château Latour presentation card dated 1931, demonstrating the designs of the early 20th century, the label, cork, case and capsule markings]]

In 1963 the estate finally left the Ségur family, then named de Beaumont, when the heirs sold three-quarters of the Château Latour shares to the [[United Kingdom|British]] interests of the [[Pearson PLC|Pearson Group]] under control of Lord Cowdray, with shares owned by [[John Harvey & Sons|Harvey's of Bristol]]. [[Henri Martin (wine)|Henri Martin]] and Jean-Paul Gardère were appointed as managers which brought about substantial innovations.<ref name=BDP/> Investments were made in research, vineyards were expanded by acquisition and replanting, the ''[[chai (wine)|chai]]'' was extended and Latour became the first of the first growths to modernise their whole production, replacing the old [[oak (wine)|oak]] fermenting vats with [[stainless steel]] temperature-controlled vats.<ref name=wd-cl/> The second wine with fruit from younger vines was initiated, and fruit for the ''grand vin'' was decided to come exclusively from the vineyards shown on the plan of the domain from 1759. Martin and Gardère formally resigned from the Conseil d'Administration in 1987, ending a 24-year era.<ref name=BDP/>

In 1989 Latour was purchased by [[Allied Lyons]] for around £110 million, but in 1993 returned to French ownership when bought by businessman [[François Pinault]] for £86 million when it became part of his holding company [[Groupe Artemis]].<ref name=times2812>{{cite news|last= Walsh|first= Kate |work=[[The Sunday Times]] |title=Pinault woes may force Château Latour sell-off |date= December 28, 2008 |url= http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article5404112.ece |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091009132201/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article5404112.ece |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 9, 2009 | location=London}}</ref>

In December 2008 it was reported that the investment bank [[Lazard]] was offering the estate for sale.<ref name=deca3012>{{cite web|last= Anson |first= Jane |publisher=Decanter.com |title= Chateau Latour for sale |date= December 30, 2008 |url=http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/chateau-latour-for-sale-75110/ }}</ref> ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' speculated that among the interested parties were wine mogul [[Bernard Magrez]], with actors [[Gérard Depardieu]] and [[Carole Bouquet]],<ref name=times2812/> in a transaction which would bring one of the five first growths under the control of a resident Bordelais for the first time in several decades.<ref name=deca3012/>

==Production==
The estate has {{convert|78|ha|acre}} of [[vineyard]], of which a {{convert|47|ha|acre|adj=on}} portion near the château is named l'Enclos, where fruit exclusive to the ''grand vin'' is grown. The composition of [[grape varieties]] is 80% [[Cabernet Sauvignon]], 18% [[Merlot]], and 2% of [[Cabernet Franc]] and [[Petit Verdot]].<ref name=wd-cl>{{cite web |last= Kissack |first= Chris |publisher= thewinedoctor.com |title= Chateau Latour |url= http://www.thewinedoctor.com/amember/protect/new-rewrite?f=32&url=/tastingsprofile/latour.shtml&host=www.thewinedoctor.com&ssl=off |access-date= 2008-04-30 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140703051230/http://www.thewinedoctor.com/amember/protect/new-rewrite?f=32&url=/tastingsprofile/latour.shtml&host=www.thewinedoctor.com&ssl=off |archive-date= 2014-07-03 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

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.<ref name=wd-cl/>

== Price ==
The estate's ''grand vin'' is one of the most expensive Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot wines made in the [[Médoc AOC| Médoc region]] and retails at an average price of $793 for a 750 ml bottle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/latour+pauillac+medoc+bordeaux+france?Xlist_format=N&Xbottle_size=all&Xprice_set=&Xprice_min=&Xprice_max=|title=Chateau Latour, Pauillac, France: prices {{!}} wine-searcher|website=Wine Searcher|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref> 

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Château Latour}}
*[http://www.chateau-latour.com/ Château Latour official site] {{in lang|fr|en|ja}}

{{Bordeaux-1855}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|45|10|36|N|0|44|42|W|source:kolossus-jawiki|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Latour, Chateau}}
[[Category:Bordeaux wine producers]]

Château Latour - Revision history

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