Chateau Latour a Pomeroy History
Chateau Latour a’ Pomerol has vineyards that are located not far from Chateau Clinet and Chateau Feytit Clinet. Another famed vineyard that is fairly close is Chateau Trotanoy. Chateau Latour a’ Pomerol has a long history in the region that dates all the way back to the mid or late 1800s when the wine was sold under the name of La-Tour-Pomerol.
Chateau Latour a’ Pomerol, in its early days, was the property of the Garitey family before it was passed to Madame Loubat who also owned Petrus in 1917. Madame Loubat remained the owner of Chateau Latour a’ Pomerol until her death in 1961.
At that time it was passed to Lily Lacoste, her niece. While Latour a’ Pomerol continues to be managed by Ets. Moueix today, they are not the owners. The Lacoste family retained the estate until 2002 when it was donated to the Fondation de Foyers de Charite de Chateauneuf de Galaure, a charity.
Interestingly, Latour a’ Pomerol produced some of the most legendary wines of the 20th century. 1947, 1950, 1959, and 1961 are all Bordeaux legends.
What makes that even more amazing is that 1959 and the historic 1961 were produced from very young vines due to the fact that the vineyards needed to be replanted after the 1956 frost! The majority of the vineyard needed to be replanted after the frost, starting in 1957.
However, perhaps due to its inconsistency, the high quality of the wines produced by Latour a’ Pomerol went without much notice until they were written about by the famed wine critic, Robert Parker.
With the exception of the 1970 and 1982 vintages, Chateau Latour a’ Pomerol has not been on top of its game for decades. This seems to have changed in 2009, as the property produced a very strong wine in that vintage as well as in 2010 and 2015.
🏅James Suckling 93 pts
A wine that is smoky and meaty, with hints of dried dark fruits. Full and juicy, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Loads of cocoa character. Balanced and pretty.
🏅Wine Advocate 92 pts
A beautiful wine from the Moueix stable of right bank offerings, the 2009 Latour a Pomerol displays a dense plum/ruby/purple color along with a bouquet of mocha, roasted nuts, wood smoke, truffles and sweet cherries. Full-bodied, round and generous with sweet tannin, considerable power and no hard edges, this is a surprisingly up-front, precocious effort that can be drunk now or cellared for two decades.
🏅Vinous 92+ pts
Good deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate and mocha show an almost liqueur-like quality and are complemented by sexy, oaky torrefaction. Very supple, tactile and sweet, but with sound balancing acidity giving lift and definition to the ripe blueberry and cassis flavors. Finishes very fresh and long, with toothdusting but very smooth tannins that will call for several years of bottle aging. An excellent and impressively concentrated Latour a Pomerol that comes across as refined and lively for all its power and density.
