ChateauLatour–Pauillac,Bordeaux2010

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.rrLatour 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.rrThe 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.rrWeather: 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. rrTechnical Information: rVineyards: AOC Pauillac, BordeauxrGrape Varieties: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44.5% Merlot & 5% Cabernet FrancrAlcohol: 13%rDrink: Now to 2070+rrTasting Note: Deep garnet-brick in color, it gallops out of the glass with incredibly youthful, powerful creme de cassis, blackberry pie, and plum preserves scents, followed by wafts of violets, licorice, eucalyptus, and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, super-concentrated, and energetic in the mouth, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, beautifully ripe tannins and so many layers, finishing on a long, lingering anise note. Tasted by Lisa Perotti-Brown