Burgundy Terroirs: Wines of Maison Louis Latour By Susan Lanier-Graham tactics to combat erosion in the operated. The family is from Aloxe- ne of the highlights of the vineyards. O Corton, a small medieval village where recent Food Network South Beach the Latour family has been making wine The Winemaking Wine and Food Festival (SOBEWFF) since the 17th century. Today, the family Process at Domaine was the wine seminars presented by has property throughout the Côte d'Or Louis Latour Wine Spectator and hosted by Bruce where they raise Chardonnay and Pinot Sanderson, the magazine's Senior Noir grapes. In many ways, the winemaking Editor. I attended three seminars process today at Domaine Louis Domaine Louis Latour is a champion of during the festival, including one Latour is much as it was in the environmentally sound farming. As examining the Burgundy Terroirs and earliest days. The grapes are still Louis-Fabrice Latour said, "Terroir—the harvested by hand, placed in wines of Maison Louis Latour. Our soil— is the most important factor in wicker baskets and taken to a gracious host was Louis-Fabrice great wines." Rather than using selection table at the winery. Latour, general managing director of chemicals in the growing process, Latour There, as the grapes move slowly the winery and the eleventh employs biological methods whenever along a conveyor, workers sort generation to run the company. It possible. The winery works to ensure the them by hand to eliminate any bad was a magnificent tasting of six 2009 biodiversity of the Pinot Noir and grapes. After the sorting, the Louis Latour Pinot Noir offerings. Chardonnay varieties, uses alternative grapes go into a destemmer, then disease and virus controls rather than drop into copper wagons and are About Domaine Louis Latour insecticides, uses biological protection to taken by elevator up a floor at the combat pests and works toward early winery so that gravity is used Domaine Louis Latour is one of the intervention to prevent diseases such as instead of pumping. After that, the few wineries in Burgundy still mildew. It is important to the family that grapes go into one of the more completely family owned and they practice aggressive conservation than nearly four dozen 100 year- The winemaking process today at Tasting the Wines Aloxe-Corton 1er Domaine Louis Latour Louis-Fabrice Latour introduced his Cru "Les Chaillots" is much as it was in wines with the enthusiasm of a proud 2009, Côte de the earliest days. parent. With his guidance, along with Beaune the tasting notes and comments from -old oak fermentation vats. Wine Spectator's Sanderson, the tasting This first wine, the Aloxe-Corton Latour leaves the skins with the liquid Premier Cru "Les Chaillots" is from for only 10 to 12 days. After that, was a lesson in wine making and tasting the village of Aloxe-Corton. This extracting the color from the skins along with the pure joy of experiencing wine, which received 91 points from (pigeage) is still done the traditional magnificent Burgundy Pinot Noirs. Wine Spectator, comes from a way at Maison Louis Latour—by foot. Latour explained that he chose 2009 vineyard in a stony, pebbly area of When the winemaker determines that wines because they are some of the Burgundy with high levels of fermentation is complete, the "free- best wines ever produced due to ideal limestone. The wine was aged for 12 run" wine is drained off through wicker growing conditions. August and months and has a gorgeous ruby red baskets. The pips and skins are then September 2009 brought days of color. This is a complex wine with a pressed to get the best color, fruit and warmth and sun, which created balance between powerful taste and tannins. That deep color wine is added beautiful deep, brilliant red wines with acidity. The fruit flavor is up front but back into the free-run wine and the complex flavor profiles. Latour it has a bit of a mineral finish. It blended wine is placed in oak barrels should be a great wine to drink now for 12 to 18 months. After that time, suggested that if you have a choice or over the next decade and retails the quality of each barrel is checked between 2008 and 2009 wines, you for approximately $40. and only the best goes into the final should drink the 2009 wines first and blend and eventually bottled for let the 2008 wines rest another couple distribution. of years. Volnay 1er Cru "En the best years to drink this one. It rich mouthfeel. Unlike the previous wines retails for approximately $63. that were aged for 12 months, this one is Chevret" 2009, Côte made of wines aged 14 to 18 months. It de Beaune is a favorite with the major wine Gevrey-Chambertin magazines, getting a 93 from Wine Our second wine, the Volnay Premier 1er cru "Les Enthusiast and a 92 from Wine Cru "En Chevret" is from rocky soil, Spectator. Both Latour and Sanderson high in iron content. The wine has a 92 Cazetiers" 2009, Côte believe this wine will age beautifully over rating from Wine Spectator. During the de Nuits the coming decade. It retails for about tasting, both Sanderson and Latour $120 per bottle. defined this wine as "more feminine" The Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru "Les than the first. I felt that it is definitely Cazetiers" is from a vineyard just 10 km Romanée-Saint-Vivant more delicate than the Aloxe-Corton out of Dijon that has maximum exposure Grand Cru "Les "Les Chaillots." Although it has a less to the sun early in the day. The wine has Quatre Journaux" powerful profile, the color is an intense received 91 points from Wine Enthusiast ruby red and both the taste and the and is quite powerful on the palette. The 2009, Côte de Nuits nose are of plums and strawberries. Gevrey-Chambertin has subtle floral This wine, from grapes in the Village notes, but strong minerals and tannins. The last of the Latour wines we tasted, of Volnay with an easterly exposure, is The nice acidity helps to balance it out Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru "Les much more elegant than the Aloxe- and Sanderson referred to this wine as Quatre Journaux," was also aged longer, Corton. Latour suggested this wine will be "masculine and powerful." The gorgeous about 14 to 18 months. It received a 93 in its prime between 2015 and 2030. It dark cherry color and full mouth feel score from both Wine Spectator and retails for approximately $50. makes this a memorable wine. This wine Wine Enthusiast. The wine has notes of is great to drink now and retails for about cherry and spice and you can feel the $50. tannins on the finish. The finish is quite Beaune 1er Cru powerful, but I believe it still tastes "Vignes Franches" somewhat young. I believe this will be an Château Corton 2009, Côte de incredible wine in a few more years and Grancey Grand Cru is possibly one of the best I've tasted Beaune 2009, Côte de Beaune anywhere. I love the hint of chocolate and spice in this wine. The complexity brings We moved on to the third wine, the Corton different aromas and tastes with every sip Beaune Premier Cru "Vignes and it is a joy drinking this wine. Latour Franches", which also received 92 The Château Corton Grancey Grand Cru suggests this wine will be at its peak in points from Wine Spectator. The is, in my opinion, one of the best wines I the next five to ten years. It retails for Beaune is an ideal taste following the tasted the entire weekend at the approximately $310 per bottle. first two wines because it has the SOBEWFF. In 1891, the Latour family Both the wines of Maison Louis Latour power of the Aloxe-Corton, but the took over Château Grancey and have and the director, Louis-Fabrice Latour, finesse of the Volnay. This big, rich been producing wines there since that are excellent examples of why Burgundy wine is a deep garnet red with tastes time. The vines are all over 40 years old Pinot Noir wines are held in such high of raspberry, strawberry and a little and this isn't a wine they make every esteem throughout the world. From a pepper. There are noticeable tannins year. It is a blend of the best Corton casual, great-with-dinner wine like the in this wine, which Sanderson grapes, each aged individually and then Beaune or Volnay, to an elegant wine for described as "elegant and graceful." blended. This is a complex, earthy Pinot special occasions, like the Romanée- Latour explained that this is a wine Noir that transported me back to the Saint-Vivant or Château Corton Grancey, that can age for a long time, only green hills of Burgundy. Both the nose the wines of Louis Latour make a getting better over the next few years. and taste are fruity yet spicy with a hint of statement. He suggested 2015 through 2030 as coffee. The tannins give it a.