6 Issues You Ought to Know About Louis Latour, One of many Longest Household-Owned Wineries in Burgundy

Situated within the Aloxe-Corton commune in Burgundy’s Côte-d’Or one will discover Louis Latour, a historic vineyard established in 1797 by third-generation winegrower Jean Latour. Over the centuries, the Latour household has retained possession of the vineyard and regularly expanded its winery holdings in a number of the most prized Burgundian villages. In the present day, the vineyard owns roughly 120 acres of vineyards, roughly 67 of that are Grand Cru, making Louis Latour the most important holder of Grand Cru plots in all of Burgundy.

Whereas the household primarily focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay manufacturing in Burgundy, the wine label has unfold to different French areas in latest many years, together with Ardeche, Beaujolais, and Les Pierres Dorées. And whereas a number of Louis Latour bottles can fetch tons of and even hundreds of {dollars}, the vineyard additionally produces quite a lot of entry-level wines accessible for lower than $50.

At the moment in its eleventh era of household possession, Louis Latour is among the longest family-owned producers in Burgundy. Listed below are six extra issues you must know in regards to the wine model.

1. The Latour household owned a number of vineyards in Burgundy earlier than they formally established their vineyard.

   Sixty-six years earlier than Maison Louis Latour was based, Jean Latour’s grandfather Denis bought vines within the Côte de Beaune. A cooper by commerce, Denis acknowledged the large potential of Burgundy’s terroir and wished a bit of it for himself, although formal winemaking wouldn’t start for a number of many years. Over time, the household would proceed working the vineyards, and in 1768, Jean relocated to Aloxe-Corton to proceed the household enterprise. There, he established a cooperage of his personal and bought a number of different plots within the space, together with Aloxe-Corton “Les Chaillots,” Corton “Grèves,” and Corton “Bressandes.” When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, the struggle considerably disrupted land distribution and possession, releasing up acres of land to plant vines. Latour seized the second, and eight years later, Maison Louis Latour was born.

2. In 1867, Maison Louis Latour grew to become a négociant.

   As demand for his or her wines elevated within the early to mid-1800s, the Latour household knew they might not be capable to produce sufficient with their present grape provide. In 1867, the third Louis Latour in cost (and the Sixth-generation proprietor) bought the négociant agency Lamarosse Père & Fils, increasing the enterprise to the service provider aspect. From that time on, Louis Latour has produced wine from grapes grown in its personal vineyards, in addition to these sourced from different growers within the surrounding space. For bottles completely produced with fruit grown on property vineyards, search for bottles labeled “Domaine Louis Latour.”

3. The household introduced Chardonnay grapes to the Corton-Charlemagne subregion.

   Whereas Louis Latour operated efficiently for almost a century, issues shifted within the 1870s when phylloxera ripped its manner by way of Burgundy. In Corton-Charlemagne — the place the Latour household owned a number of vineyards — the vast majority of the vines planted earlier than the outbreak have been Aligoté, and nearly all have been totally decimated. Relatively than replanting Aligoté, the fifth Louis Latour on the maison’s helm made the choice to replant with Chardonnay. Typically considered as a turning level for the Corton-Charlemagne area, Louis Latour is broadly credited with introducing Chardonnay to the realm, which was later granted AOC standing in 1937.

4. All Domaine Louis Latour winemaking takes place in a five-story construction constructed immediately right into a hill.

   Each bottle of wine produced from property fruit is produced and aged on the Corton Grancey Cuverie, which the Latour household acquired in 1891. Accomplished in 1834, the cuverie was designed because the very first purpose-driven vineyard in France. The manufacturing facility itself consists of 5 tales, every constructed into the hillside to permit for winemaking to be carried out by gravity. Every new step of the method is marked by a journey down a degree at the start wraps up within the cellar, the place wines relaxation in 228-liter wood barrels. The cellars home roughly 800 barrels and 250,000 bottles of wine at any given time.

5. Louis Latour is the one winemaker in Burgundy utilizing barrels from its personal cooperage to age wines.

   For 228 years, barrel-making on the Louis Latour Cooperage has been an important a part of the winemaking course of, with the home completely using barrels from its personal cooperage to age wines. All oak is sourced from forests in northern France and aged open air for 2 years earlier than it’s handcrafted right into a barrel utilizing conventional strategies. Every barrel is then toasted and branded with its yr of manufacturing earlier than any wine is added. The cooperage produces roughly 3,500 barrels per yr, with roughly half used for Louis Latour wines completely. The remaining barrels are constantly in excessive demand, with a prolonged international waitlist stuffed with producers ready to get their arms on the prized casks.

6. In 1997, Louis Latour was admitted to the Hénokiens Affiliation.

   To rejoice Louis Latour’s two hundredth birthday, the vineyard was admitted to the Hénokiens Affiliation, a French-based firm celebrating the longevity of world family-owned firms. Established in 1981, Hénokiens was based on the premise of making house for these firms to alternate concepts, thus strengthening their household operations. So as to be admitted to the affiliation, an organization have to be family-owned, no less than two centuries previous, in good monetary standing, and a descendant of the founding member of the family should both be the bulk shareholder, actively concerned in administration, or on the board. In the present day, there are 57 energetic members of the Hénokiens Affiliation throughout 10 international locations.