Classification: Premier Grand Cru Classe—Pauillac—First
VINEYARDS
Surface area: 163 acres
Grape varietals: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot average age of the vines: 50 years old (Chateau Latour); 35 years old (LesForts de Latour); 10 years old (Pauillac)
Density of plantation: 10,000 vines perhectare
Average yields: 51 hectoliters per hectare

WINEMAKING AND UPBRINGING
During fermentation, two daily pumpings-over are carried out at a temperature of 29-30°C. Depending on the vintage and structure of the wine, one to three racking operations are performed during the alcoholic fermentation. Vatting lasts between 15 and 25 days, depending on the grape variety and age of the plot. The press wines undergo malolactic fermentation in barrels before blending with the free-run wine, always I accomplished before the end of February. The grand vin is aged in new oak barrels for 16 to 18 months. Bottling takes place each year between June and July.
ANNUAL PRODUCTION
Chateau Latour: 180,000 bottles
Les Forts de Latour: 150,000 bottles
Pauillac: 40,000 bottles
GREAT RECENT VINTAGES
2003, 2002, 2001. 2000, 1996, 1995, 1990, 1982
Chateau Latour's viticultural estate began history in 1378, at the height of the Hundred Years' War. Ac­quired in 1670 by the de Segur family, Chateau Latour remained in the hands of its heirs for nearly 200 years, until 1963.

The reputation of Chateau Latour for making wines of great color, complexity, and purity of fruit, as well as powerful and long-lasting character, was established in the 19th century. In 1855, at the time of the classification of the greatest wines of the Medoc and Graves for the International Exhibition in Paris, Chateau Latour was classified as a first growth.

Between 1963 and 1993, Chateau Latour came under British stewardship, at which time invest­ments were made in the vineyard, vat-house, and cellar. Two world-renowned British writers, Hugh Johnson and the late Harry Waugh, served as advisors to Chateau Latour during this era. The chateau returned to French hands in 1993, when it was purchased by Mr. Francois Pinault, a wine lover and con­noisseur of Chateau Latour, who essentially purchased the estate that made his favorite wine. He is also a perfec­tionist, and vintages under his ownership have gone from strength to strength.

Impressively situated on the Pauillac/St.-Julien border, immediately north of the walled vineyard of Leoville-Las-Cases, Latour's vineyard can be spotted easily from the road because of the creamy-colored, fortress-like tower. Notably depicted on the wine's label, this formidable tower overlooking the vineyards and the Gironde River remains from the 17th century, when it was built on the site of a 15th-century fortress used by the English to fend off attacks by pirates.

The wine produced here has been an impeccable model of consistent excellence, in great, mediocre, and poor vintages. For that reason, many have long consid­ered Latour to be the Medoc's finest wine. Latour's repu­tation for making Bordeaux's best wine in mediocre or poor vintages—such as 1974,1972, and 1960—has been totally justified, although in some poor Bordeaux vin­tages—1984, 1980, and 1977—Latour's wines were sur­prisingly light and eclipsed in quality by a number of other chateaux. The wine of Latour also has a remark­able record of being stubbornly slow-developing, requir­ing a good 20-25 years of bottle age to shed its considerable tannic clout and reveal its stunning power, depth, and richness. This style, often referred to by com­mentators as virile, masculine, and tough, may have un­dergone a subtle yet very perceptible softening up between 1983 and 1989. This was adamantly denied by the staff at Latour, but my tastings suggest a more gentle and accessible style. Fortunately, this ignoble trend was quickly abandoned, as Latour has once again been pro­ducing blockbuster wines since 1990.

While the 1982 and to a lesser extent the 1986 are undeniably great Latours, on the whole the estate did not have a distinguished decade. It was no secret that the cuverie was too small to handle the gigantic crop sizes of 1986, 1985, and 1983. As a consequence, the fer­mentation tanks had to be emptied too soon in order to make room for the arriving grapes. The underground cellars and cuverie were subsequently enlarged—just in time to handle 1989, the largest vintage ever harvested in Bordeaux. In 2000, a massive renovation project costing millions has given Latour a state-of-the-art winemaking and storage facility. However, an objective tasting analysis of the 1989, 1988, 1985, and 1983 La-tours leaves one with the impression that in these years, Latour is a significantly lighter, less powerful and con­centrated wine than it was in any decade earlier in the last century. However, the decade of the 1990s wit­nessed a return to form, and under the impeccable ad­ministration of Francois Pinault and his man on the spot, Frederic Engerer, nothing less than perfection has been tolerated.

Latour remains one of the most concentrated, rich, tannic, and full-bodied wines in the world. When ma­ture, it has a compelling bouquet of fresh walnuts and leather, black currants and gravelly mineral scents. On the palate, it can be a wine of extraordinary richness, yet it is never heavy.