Louis Latour – 2017

4.1.2019billn

Tasted in Beaune with Jean-Charles Thomas and Louis-Fabrice Latour, 11 December 2018.

Maison Louis Latour
18 Rue des Tonneliers
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 24 81 00
www.louislatour.com

Jean-Charles on 2018:
In 2018 – the hardest part was choosing the harvest date because just about everything was ready at the same time it seemed – but because of the dryness there was no real rule. A vintage parcelaire – a reflection that the vintage was very heterogeneous. In Marsannay alone some parcels were ready 10 days-plus before others. Those without a stuck maturity, a blockage, grew in maturity incredibly quickly – the drying warm wind was a large part of that. So some high degrees which slowed some fermentations, modest but present acidity, and it seems quantity with quality – almost a blitzkrieg mentality for harvesting but in the end it was long harvest.

Jean-Charles on 2017:
With 2017 the harvest was roughly about the same time as in 2018 but in 2017 we didn’t have the same ‘drag’ or blockage of maturity in this vintage. Despite waiting after the rain, the acidity was stable – there were good concentrations too. The reds were mature and well-balanced. A little over 6 bunches per vine was achieved so whilst the wines are not like 2015 or 2016 there’s still a really good concentration – the lowest maturity in Corton for instance was 13.1°.

The wines…

For the reds I find the greater wines coming from the Côte de Beaune, but there is good consistency here and nothing modestly coloured or modestly concentrated in the wines tasted here. The whites have much to commend them, occasionally they are simply great wines.

2017 Pinot Noir Les Pierres Dorées
All tank elevage – still young vines. This the only red tasted that’s already bottled. Only 30-35 hl/ ha, the biggest harvest to date here is in 2018 and it’s not yet 40 hl/ha.
A slightly powdery but lovely and open, indeed inviting pinot fruit. Lots of intensity and good concentration. This is simply an excellent glass of pinot – no question!

2017 Marsannay
Lots of parcels are included here – a good 15 or-so. Also bottled.
Deep, nice fruit too. Bright – open, lovely freshness. A tiny impression of mushroom a lovely intense line of finishing flavour. Delicious.

2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune
5 different parcels.
Great colour. Hmm, that’s nicely vibrant, dark-red fruited, great fruit actually. Some gas, mouth-filling volume – a touch of herb but not much – this has great energy and fruit – bravo! A nice finishing tannin too.

2017 Gevery-Chambertin
5-6 parcels, with a little more than 20% new oak.
Pretty if slightly tight fruit – dark-red. Fresh, intense – serious, not easy wine. Waves of great flavour here – delicious once more.

2017 Beaune 1er Perrières
Hmm – that’s a lovely nose, lots of florality – another wine that’s intense, with great freshness and needs time to be less intense’ – super, To wait for, great line of flavour.

2017 Volnay 1er Chevrets
Over 2 hectares.
Lots of colour. A much more modest nose – lightly, floral. Big in the mouth, again very intense – here with more tannin. Great but wait 2 years.
2017 Pommard 1er Les Epenots
Only 25 hl/ha here…
Such deep colour. Depth of aroma – dark-fruited and really very inviting. Big, energetic, mouth-watering – it would be juicy if it wasn’t so concentrated. Great wine in the works here.

2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaux Monts
A single parcel.
A deep nose, more than touched by the barrel today. But round, with sweet fruit, proper structure, more than a hint of tannin. Very, very long – ooh – wait for this – it will be worth it.

2017 Château Corton-Grancey
Perrieres, Bressandes and Clos du Roi
Actually quite a floral perfume here – ‘it’s very Perrières this year.’ Big in the mouth, great shape and structure – tannin so fine but present without astringency. Very wide, pure fruit finishing – a super Grancey to wait for – but only if you must!

2017 Echézeaux
3 different origins.
Hmm, now that has a lovely depth and complexity of aroma. Round, deep, mobile – a bit of gas – but really a very fine intensity, lots of salinity, complex, long. Such tasty wine! Not absolute top for this area in 2017, but damn good!

2017 Clos de Vougeot
Assembly of 6 different parcels.
A blend of freshness and impressive depth of aroma. Ooh – that’s super – juicy, with volume, depth, tons of energy, dark but puer fruit. Ooh that’s simply great and so long too. Bravo!

2017 Chambertin Cuvée Héritiers Latour
Actually a tighter nose – lots of freshness at the top, good depth too – but narrow. Full, complex, mobile – lots of volume and energy in tandem. Long, slowly mouth-watering, long again – impressive but clearly a wine for the more patient – in a 2017 context!

2017 Romanée St.Vivant Les Quatre Journeaux
Hmm a nice floral here. Here is depth, and energy – the flavour is slightly behind the energy – but tha will come. Mouth watering, spiced, delicious!

Les Blancs…
Using more and more DIAM here, not yet for the ‘grand vins’ but the tests are ongoing…

2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune
Only one origin here. This bottled
Hmm – this is lovely – a nose of golden fruit, slightly cushioned. Mouth-filling, rather rich for a Savigny but absolutely delicious.

2017 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er En Caradeux
To be bottled in the next weeks.
Hmm, nice depth, slightly reductive. Also in the mouth a little reductive but melting flavour. A little touch of finishing tannin.

2017 Meursault 1er Château Blagny
About 1/3 new oak. This bottled end of September.
A tight nose. Wide, complex – rather tasty and certainly a little ginger-spiced flavour-profile. Lovely classic, delicious flavoured. Excellent!

2017 Meursault 1er Gouttes D’Or
Took a long time for the malos, a single origin, a vigneron working organically.
Ooh – more open, a little firework reduction – 50% new oak. Ooh that’s really nice in the mouth – oaked but no vanilla – open, concentrated but always beautifully balanced. This is an excellent Meursault – simply delicious!

2017 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er La Grand Montagne
In tank, racked.
Lovely width – extra here – fresh, complex, pure – a real invitation. Mineral but deliciously sweet and complex – long, long… a touch of salinity – more upfront flavour than in the finish here – but a beautiful glass of wine…

2017 Corton-Charlemagne
All assembled.
Hmm – this is a lovely fine and ripe lemon nose. Full, weight of concentration, plenty of structure – this a wine to wait for. Full flavoured though and with muscle. Great length here.

2017 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles
Less volume of aroma but a very fine and complex – über-attractive nose here. Structured – like the Charlemagne – but a little less burly, more a line of flavour. Simply a great finish, simply great…
2017 Montrachet
Hmm – a nose that’s not massive, but there’s an insinuating complexity here. Ooh – that’s big, some reductive pineapple, a big volume of flavour that persists after swallowing. Really quite something…

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