Château Latour
Welcome to the elite league of the world’s finest red wines! Latour, based in Pauillac, is one of the five famous Premier Crus classified in 1855 for the Paris Exposition. The name refers to a fortress tower built during the Hundred Years’ War against the English. The current tower, constructed in 1620 with a round dome, serves as the emblem on the label.
Viticulture on Latour’s lands has been documented since the 14th century, but the estate’s great history truly began in the late 17th century when it was acquired by the de Ségur family. During his stay in France in 1787, Thomas Jefferson already recognized it as one of the finest estates in Bordeaux. Like many other châteaux, Latour went through a series of ownership changes in the last century. From 1963 onward, the estate changed hands multiple times—including foreign investors—before French billionaire and businessman François Pinault repurchased it in 1993. His holding company continues to own Latour to this day.
These turbulent years led to a legal restriction: a Premier Cru estate may not be sold to foreign buyers. Under Pinault, a complete renovation took place in 1998, blending cutting-edge winemaking technology with a sensitive, traditional architectural approach. Since 2015, the vineyards have been organically farmed, with half of them even following biodynamic principles. The 78 hectares of vineyards are planted with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Latour caused a major stir in 2012 when it announced its withdrawal from the en primeur system. One of the main reasons was to curb speculation on increasingly expensive en primeur wines.
