x
  • Country ranking ?

    250
  • Producer ranking ?

    1
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2030
  • Food Pairing

    Lamb with aubergines

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The Story

This charming château, embellished by a small tower, is located close to the church in the village of Pomerol. Acquired in 1917 by Mrs. Loubat, the then famous proprietor of PETRUS, the vineyard was owned by her niece, Mrs. Lacoste, for 40 years before she donated it to the Fondation de Foyers de Charité de Châteauneuf de Galaure in 2002.
The vineyard, with an average age of 35 years, is characterised by its soil diversity: rather loamy soil around the château itself and more gravelly and clayey on the best blocks near the church.
Farming the property since 1962, Ets. Jean-Pierre MOUEIX brings the usual care and expertise to the vineyard - entirely replanted after the 1956 frost - and to the cellar. After a gentle fermentation in concrete tanks, the young wine is aged in 33% new oak barrels. Between elegance, power and smoothness, the wines of Château LATOUR show a perfect balance.


Production : approximately 30,000 bottle
Planted acreage : 20 acres
Grape varieties : 90% Merlot - 10% Cabernet Franc
Type of soil : 2/3 gravel with clay - 1/3 clay loam

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Wine Information

Charles Antin, Specialist Head of Sale, said: “The auction of Fine and Rare Wines was held in front of the great works of the Autumn sales at Christie’s: Hopper, Warhol, Basquiat, Picasso, and Giacometti all watched over the 491 lots sold at auction. The top lot of the sale, and a masterpiece in its own right, was five bottles of the legendary 1961 Latour à Pomerol, which sold for $29,400 to an internet buyer.
New York, 13 December 2013, Sale #2754


This charming château, embellished by a small tower, is located close to the church in the village of Pomerol. Acquired in 1917 by Mrs. Loubat, the then famous proprietor of PETRUS, the vineyard was owned by her niece, Mrs. Lacoste, for 40 years before she donated it to the Fondation de Foyers de Charité de Châteauneuf de Galaure in 2002.
The vineyard, with an average age of 35 years, is characterised by its soil diversity: rather loamy soil around the château itself and more gravelly and clayey on the best blocks near the church.
Farming the property since 1962, Ets. Jean-Pierre MOUEIX brings the usual care and expertise to the vineyard - entirely replanted after the 1956 frost - and to the cellar. After a gentle fermentation in concrete tanks, the young wine is aged in 33% new oak barrels. Between elegance, power and smoothness, the wines of Château LATOUR show a perfect balance.


Production : approximately 30,000 bottle

Appellation : Pomerol
Owner : F.F.C. Donation Mme L. P. Lacoste-Loubat
Planted acreage : 20 acres
Grape varieties : 90% Merlot - 10% Cabernet Franc
Type of soil : 2/3 gravel with clay - 1/3 clay loam

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Vintage 1961

1961 - the greatest Bordeaux vintage of all time?

I am writing this during the primeur campaign and I notice that Bordeaux château owners and merchants have been exceptionally quiet this year. I've been following this part of the market remotely for almost 30 years now and have been told about a lot of the "vintages of the century". Once wines are bottled and sold or vice versa, as is the case in Bordeaux, these claims tend to be changed.

Who are the serious contenders for the title of “The Greatest Vintage Ever”?

During the 19th century there were a number of vintages with great reputations made from pre-phylloxera vines. These include the legendary "Vintage Comet" 1811, 1864, 1865, 1870, 1893, 1895 and 1899. Most are too old for anyone now alive to have tasted them in their prime.

During the 20th century, claims were raised for the vintages 1900, 1921, 1929, 1945, 1947, 1949 (by me), 1959, 1961, 1982, 1989 and 1990.In the current century already three of the eight vintages produced – 2000, 2003 and 2005 – were mentioned by an overly excited press as candidates for the title, as well as the superb duo - 2009 and 2010.

In the book “The 1,000 Best Wines Ever Made” 1961 is the Bordeaux vintage most often mentioned, with 22 châteaux. 1945 is mentioned 19 times, 1947 16 times, 1982 14 times and 1959 13 times.

What is the definition of a great wine?

It’s a wine that has an extra dimension giving you an unforgettable drinking experience – in other words, a “Wow!” effect. ". It is a wine that has a long drinking life. It should be good to drink young, but it should also be able to age for a long time without losing its appeal. A good vintage produces wines that meet these requirements.

A great vintage, however, is equally good in all major regions of Bordeaux, both on the left bank and the right bank. It’s also a vintage where something special was produced in every appellation, from the lowest Cru Bourgeois to the most powerful Premier Cru.

1961 meets these requirements better than any other vintage.

This was the vintage where the most incompetent winemaker simply couldn't make a bad wine and the wines drank very well at an early stage; In most cases, they still do this today.

Some extremely impressive wines were produced in 1945, but these came primarily from the Left Bank and many of the wines had excessively high tannin levels, making them increasingly dry as they aged.

1947 produced the most amazing Right Bank wines, but many Left Bank wines had problems with volatile acidity.

1959 has produced a number of wines that are on the same level and sometimes even a bit higher than the corresponding '61, and some experienced wine critics like Michel Bettane prefer 1959 to 1961. But 1959 does not have the same consistent quality at all levels.

1982 undoubtedly produced a lot of very impressive wines but I have the impression that the Right Bank wines lack structure and have not aged very well and that very few Margaux and Médoc wines have had a great success. The twin vintages of 1989 and 1990, or 2009 and 2010 may come closest in overall quality, but it is still too early to judge their aging capabilities.

 

What made 1961 so special?

It was a very small harvest, the smallest since World War II. This was partly due to coulure (cold weather at flowering) and in some parts due to frost on the night of May 30-31, together reducing the yield per plant to about a third of the usual size at that time. period (which, compared to today's harvests, seems tiny). This concentrated the minerals and power of the vine among the few remaining grapes and was the reason for the success of minor châteaux, which would normally produce much higher yields than would be good for their wines.

August and September were hot and extremely dry. This drought meant that maturation took longer than the 100 days usually prescribed. The harvest was delayed until September 22, but benefited from perfect conditions. Thanks to better aging techniques, winemakers avoid the harsh tannins of 1945 and the volatility of 1947. The wines have a very deep color, an attractive nose and a ripe, concentrated and full-bodied fruitiness, with sufficient tannins and acidity to give the wines structure and freshness.

I organized a large tasting of over sixty years from 1961 to 1989 and all the wines were very good, even from small châteaux

 

 

 

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

33 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Medium, Ruby red and Bright

ending

Long, Smooth, Lingering and Alcoholic

flavors

Blackcurrant, Tobacco, Floral, Blackberry, Perfumed and Herbs

nose

Complex, Volatile, Refined and Youthful

recommend

Yes

taste

High in Acidity, High alcohol content, Complex, Concentrated, Balanced, Youthful, Full-bodied, Ripe, Firm, Harmonious, Sweet and Silky tannins

Verdict

Intelligent and Sophisticated

Written Notes

There was no Lafite or Margaux tonight, but there were four extraordinary bottles of Pomerol. The 1961 Latour a Pomerol was a honey bunny of a wine with a super sexy nose. This had the 1960s all over it in Hugh Hefner fashion. There was a pudding and gingerbread edge to this kinky wine. Smooth, creamy and tasty, this was yet another decadent ’61, but even more so. It had that almost Zinfandel-like decadence, typical for this wine and vintage, similar to 1982 Lafleur for some. There were maple syrup flavors to its finish (97).

  • 97p

Latour-a-Pomerol 1961 / Lafite-Bruxelles bottling, bottom neck fill. Ruby with garnet rim, cassis, floral, leather, cigars, violets, all the aromas that can be found in perfect Bordeaux. Superb acidity, ripe tannins, intense, complex, enormous texture, some herbs and bell peppers, dark fruits, plums, figs, anise, will easily last another 20 years, exceptional finish. Magnificent! 99-100

  • 100p
1961 was the Bordeaux vintage where it was almost impossible to find a bad wine. Low yields due to frost and coulure followed by perfect conditions through to the harvest. Probably the greatest vintage ever for Bordeaux. Equally good in all appellations. The 1961 Latour-à-Pomerol is extremely rare and extremely good. Not a very complex wine but so rich and decadent that one can not avoid being overawed. Need an hour or so of decanting and grows in the glass all the time.
  • 98p
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Information

Origin

Pomerol, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Average

Fake factory

Serious

Glass time

1h
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