CHATEAU LATOUR
Château Latour entered into history in 1378, at the height of the Hundred Years War, when the Anglo-Gascon army established a garrison there. The emblem of the château today - its squat, battlemented tower, standing in the vines - serves to remind us of those times, when Aquitaine needed protection from marauders and pirates.
Acquired in 1670 by the de Ségur family, and notably Marquis Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur, known as 'Le Prince des Vignes', Château Latour remained in the hands of his heirs until 1963.
Château Latour started to be highly recognised around the world thanks to the conquest of the British market, and the development of the wine business in northern Europe. The aristocracy and other wealthy people became very enthusiastic about a few great estates, of which Latour was one. That was how Thomas Jefferson, Ambassador of the United States in France and future President, discovered this wine in 1787. At that time, a cask of Château Latour was already worth twenty times as much as one of simple Bordeaux wine.
The reputation of Château Latour for making wines of great colour, complex purity of fruit and powerful, long-lasting character was established in the nineteenth century. In 1855, at the time of the classification of the greatest wines of the Médoc and Graves for the International Exhibition in Paris, Château Latour was classified as a First Growth.
The property consists of 80 hectares, 47 of which, called "L'Enclos", are situated on perfectly-drained, gravel hillocks, in full sight of the Gironde estuary. It lies to the south of Pauillac, where a small stream separates it from neighbouring Saint-Julien.
In character, mature Château Latour combines the grandeur, longevity and persistence of flavour of the greatest wines of one commune with the harmonious suavity and fleshiness of those of the other. No château in Bordeaux has a greater reputation for being able to produce exceptional wines consistently - even when climatic conditions are challenging. This surely points to the fact that the terroir of Château Latour is one of the most favourable imaginable for the production of great wine.
Between 1963 and 1993, Château Latour came under British stewardship, at which time investments were made in vineyard, vat-house (fermentation room) and cellar. The château returned to French hands in 1993, when it was purchased by M. François Pinault. The latter's family-owned company Artémis is the owner of Christie's. At Château Latour, we can report that an entirely new team, dedicated to excellence, was carefully chosen, and that important renovations have been undertaken in vat-rooms and cellars.
François Pinault is bringing his singular drive, his passion for quality and his deep love of wine to bear at every stage of the production, in order to ensure that the Château's wines continue to add lustre to its centuries-old, extraordinary reputation.
Frédéric Engerer, President of Château Latour, says, "Many people know the wines of Château Latour well, yet there are others who are still discovering them. This is why we are so delighted to be bringing this significant consignment of some of our rarest bottles and greatest vintages to Hong Kong, for this Christie's auction.
These wines have never left the property. For exacting collectors, seeking perfection of provenance, these bottles may be considered as ideal reference points. Added to which, in some cases - like the magnum of 1900 - this will be one of the very last opportunities to acquire such rarities, where the château has no more left....
Due to the offering's depth and breadth, the sale will pay tribute to the generations of winemakers and vineyard managers who have ensured, through their own individual courage and dedication that Latour remains at the forefront of wine production."
It is not possible for us to be objective, but we believe that Château Latour has one of the strongest personalities of any wine in France. And also one of the greatest potentials to thrill people with its beauty, and to improve over many decades. Its great vintages continue to gain complexity and finesse, for as long as the life of a woman, or a man.
We are privileged to be able to offer a limited quantity of some of Château Latour's greatest vintages of the last 100 years. Having lain untouched at the château since bottling, their condition and provenance are absolutely without parallel.
Anthony Hanson, Master of Wine
Senior Consultant, Christie's International Wine Department
A UNIQUE AND REMARKABLE RANGE OF CHATEAU LATOUR RELEASED DIRECTLY FROM THEIR RESERVE CELLARS
The following lots, 1 to 127, have all been released directly from the reserve cellars of Château Latour especially for this sale. Every bottle is of pristine appearance having been reconditioned and relabelled by the cellar master at Latour prior to packaging into new wooden cases prior to temperature-controlled shipment from Bordeaux to Hong Kong.
Each wooden case carries the marking of 'Christie's HK, 29th Nov 2008', plus the usual branding of Château, vintage and bottle size.
In the interests of future provenance and security, all wines from the1996 vintage and older, will carry a unique back label showing the wine has been released from the cellars of Château Latour in 2008 with an additional engraving on the glass and on the back label. Wines from the 2000 vintage onwards carry the standard Latour back label combined with the same unique laser engraving. Each bottle will feature Latour's newly-introduced tamper proof capsule.
ALL WINES IN THE SALE LYING AT CROWN WINE CELLARS IN HONG KONG
Château Latour--Vintage 1865
1 bottle per lot
Details
Château Latour--Vintage 1865
Pauillac, 1er cru classé. Château-bottled
Tasting Note: Outstanding. Five perfect bottles. Still fairly deep, with a good mature rim; whiff of eucalyptus; good flavour, balance condition, length. Faultless even allowing for the slight touch of a vintage's tannic astringency. Last noted June 2001. At best ***** M.B.
1 bottle per lot
Pauillac, 1er cru classé. Château-bottled
Tasting Note: Outstanding. Five perfect bottles. Still fairly deep, with a good mature rim; whiff of eucalyptus; good flavour, balance condition, length. Faultless even allowing for the slight touch of a vintage's tannic astringency. Last noted June 2001. At best ***** M.B.
1 bottle per lot