Maison Louis Latour Masterclass

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 1 Introduction Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

MASTERCLASS CHARDONNAY Introduction

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 2 Definition Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

• Burgundy white grape variety • Soils : limestone or calcareous clay that are not too dry • Used for dry still , sparkling or even sweet wine

• High quality • Susceptible to : powdery mildew and grapevine yellows (eg • Easy to ripen flavescence dorée and bois noir), flower abortion (coulure) • Good adaptation to different climates and millerandage • Small to medium bunches • Early buding = Fragile to spring frost • Small and curved berries • Thin skin = susceptible to botrytis bunch rot in rainy harvest • Early budding

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 3 Origins Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

17th Century • Son of (and • Clearly differenciated 20th Century Gouais blanc) from Pinot Blanc • Earliest reliable mention • Name comes from the • The name is becoming • Grafting on american of the word Chardonnay Village of Chardonnay reconized rootstock (1689) (Burgundy) • Phylloxera !!! • Development and Expansion • The name is not currently of the Chardonnay grape used yet Unknown date 19th Century

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 4 Development and Expansion Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

The second most popular white grape variety in

• Evolution size planted area in France: multiplied by 7 from 1958 to 2011

• 7325 Hectares in 1958 to 46630 Hectares in 2011

• Now, France’s 2nd most planted white variety after Ugni Blanc

• Strongholds in France are Burgundy, Languedoc- Roussillon and Champagne

• Reprensents 48% of the vineyard area planted in Burgundy (BIVB figures)

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 5 Development and Expansion Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

The most popular grape variety in the world?

• Late 20th century: in some countries, Chardonnay had been so popular that it became synonimous with dry white wine

• Nowadays, planted all over the world: 160 000 Ha in total

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 6 Different styles of Chardonnay Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

• Wide array of aromas depending on where it is grown and how it is made • Good adaptation to changes in climate and different types of soils

Style of wine Altitude Latitude Soil Climate

Kimmeridgian clay- Cool – Continental (hot in summer Lean France - Chablis 120 à 150m 47,8° limestone and cold in winter – frost in spring) (high acidity level)

Volcanic, alluvial, clay Mediterranean (wet and mild winter – Round California – Napa Valley 450m 38,5° & gravelly-sandy hot and dry summer) (high suger level)

South Africa – Clay, Limestone, Mediterranean (wet and mild winter – More tropical (citrus, tropical 136m -33,6° Stellenbosh vineyards Granite & schist hot and dry summer) fruits & exotic spices)

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 7 Different styles of Chardonnay Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Temperature Sunshine Latitude / Altitude / Slope Rainfall Exposition Rootstock Genetic Clone Date of harvest Vintage Effect Soil Type, age and compostion Type of aromas Watering / Nutrition Sugar Culture Pruning Acidity Yield Density Style Date Scarcity Harvest Price Method Malolactic Yeast Oak treatment Batonage / stirring lies Length

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 8 Different styles of Chardonnay Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 9 Different styles of Chardonnay Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 10 Different styles of Chardonnay Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 11 Different styles of Chardonnay Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Average sunlight (hours)

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 12 Winemaking Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

5 1 4 Alcoholic & Malolactic Fermentation + Ageing Vine-Growing & of sediments Some in for 10 to 14 months From April to September Just after the sorting

Harvest Bottling Sorting Some wines in stainless stell vats After cold stabilisation Mid-September in average for 8 to 10 months Just after the harvest 6 2 3

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 13 Maison Louis Latour Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass

MASTERCLASS CHARDONNAY Comparative tasting

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 14 Comparative tasting Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Chardonnay de l’Ardèche Grand Ardèche Bourgogne Chardonnay

Region Côteaux de l’Ardèche Burgundy Average altitude 270 m 150 m

Latitude 44,5° 47°

Soil / Clay & limestone (Kimmeridgian) Clay & limestone (Jurassic)

Average Sunlight 204,2 hours 150,5 hours Average Temperature 14,5°C 11,5°C Average Rainfall 89,2 mm 62,5 mm Density (feet/ha) 4 000 10 000 Average date of harvest End of August Mid-September Type of harvest Mechanical Hand picked Vintage Effect Low Important Winemaking specificities stainless steel vats oak barrels, 20% new stainless steel vats Almonds, vanilia, brioche, Type of aromas White fruits, crisp acidity Floral, white fruits yellow fruits

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay Comparative tasting Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Dates of harvest 12-Oct

2-Oct

22-Sep

12-Sep

2-Sep

23-Aug

13-Aug

3-Aug

24-Jul

14-Jul 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Bourgogne Ardèche

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay Comparative tasting Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Chablis Mâcon-Lugny Pouilly-Fuissé

Region Chablis Mâconnais Mâconnais Average altitude 140 m 230 m 290 m

Latitude 47,8° 46,3°

Soil / Terroir Kimmeridgian clay-limestone Clay & limestone Limestone & heavy clay

Average Sunlight 142,7 hours 157,5 hours

Average Temperature 11,3°C 12,3°C Average Rainfall 60,1 mm 78,4 mm Density (feet/ha) ? 10 000 Average date of harvest Late September Mid-September Type of harvest Mechanical Hand-picked Winemaking specificities 8 to 10 months ageing in stainless steel vats Vintage effect Low to medium Medium to important Floral, fresh, citrus & white Floral, fresh, citrus & white White & yellow fruits, almond, Type of aromas fruits, mineral fruits, notes of muscat honey, ample,

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay Comparative tasting Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay

Meursault Chassagne-

Average altitude 240 m 250 m

Latitude 47

Soil / Terroir Stony marl Chalk and clay

Winemaking specificities 10 months ageing in Louis Latour oak barrels, 15% new

Vintage effect Important

Type of aromas Hazelnut, buttery Exotic fruits

• Only 10 kilometers separate Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet appellations • Characteristics that differentiate Chardonnays elsewhere are very similar here • This is the “Exception Bourguignone“ : latitude, exposition, rain and sunshine are similar but the wines are complex and very different

• This is because the soil here varies from hill to hill • All contain at least some of this limestone clay which contains nutrients from the fossils of shellfish from past eras • Nevertheless the composition, proportion and age of the soil components vary between each vineyard • The partition of the vineyards dates back to monastic times and their names hail from ages gone by

• For just as long as they have been famous, attempts have been made to duplicate the particularities of white burgundies • The quality, longevity and unique features of this particular blend of terroir and know-how have, despite all, resisted the test of time...

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay Thank you for your attention

Maison Louis Latour – Masterclass Chardonnay 19