We’re delighted to introduce you to the domaine of Jean-Pierre Latour. Ours was a friendship kindled a few years back when we first had a look as his wines, as scarce as they are alluring. The scarcity, from Jean-Pierre’s point of view, meant there was little need to force things (and this is a place ruled by patience and grace). But that allure – well, that meant that we weren’t going to wait too long.
We got a chance to catch up again in March, tasting through the wines in the cellar in Meursault while Jean-Pierre once again stood back and allowed things to take their course. And it was only going to go one way. One after another, the Chardonnays pressed their irresistible case: aromatically enticing, seductive, resonant and mineral-inflected. The lovely reds – a little icing on the cake of this offering – were further evidence of Jean-Pierre’s sureness of touch.
Jean-Pierre’s oldest known ancestor living from the vine was Jean Latour-Boillot, born about 1680, while the Giraud family were distillers in Meursault. The two domaines were united in 1958 with a marriage between the two families. These days production of the 10-hectare domaine is a little over 80% white, with the majority of vines across five premiers crus of Meursault: Les Genevrières, Les Charmes, Les Perrières, Les Bouchères and Le Poruzot.
Jean-Pierre is really a one-man show. He first got his hands dirty in the cellar back in 1983, then took the helm in ’93. It’s been just over 10 years, he says, since he feels he’s absolutely nailed this style of white Burgundy – which he defines, justifiably, as “richness, purity and elegance, so that wines finish fresh”.
The whites are whole-bunch pressed, receiving a first racking at the end of August, when Jean-Pierre looks at the quality of lees to take forward. Bâtonnage is often part of the equation, but close observation of the vintage dictate frequency and duration. The wines are raised in oak for 11 to 12 months, with about 20% new oak for Bourgogne and village, and 25% for the premiers crus.
THE WINES
2016 Latour-Giraud Bourgogne Blanc RRP $64
Dry and mellow, Domaine Latour-Giraud’s Bourgogne Blanc is harvested very close to the Meursault appellation. It shows all the suppleness, delicate texture and slight nuttiness for which Meursault is famed.
2016 Latour-Giraud Meursault Cuvée Charles Maxime RRP $124
Domaine Latour-Giraud has always aspired to produce a village Meursault of particularly high quality, representative of the region and unifying various soil profiles. To mark this out as a special wine, this has been baptised with the name of the family’s two grandfathers: Charles (Giraud) and Maxime (Latour).
The domaine owns three hectares of village-designated vineyards across seven climats in Meursault: the Limozin, the Crotots and the Pelles Dessous (just under the Genevrières and the Poruzots); the Vireuils below (at the top of the side near Auxey-Duresses); the Clos du Cromin; the Corbins; and the Malpoiriers at the north end of Meursault, near Volnay. This Meursault conveys the elegance and prettiness of this appellation, with roundness, softness, freshness and nuances of hazelnuts – all typical features of Meursault in all its finesse.
Medium yellow. Ripe scents and flavors of apricot, nuts and honey. Salty, rich, dry wine with surprisingly brisk acidity. Finishes tactile and fresh. 87-89 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media September 2017
2016 Latour-Giraud Meursault Narvaux RRP $140
The famous 16-hectare Narvaux climat is situated in the highest vineyards of the village, at the tip of the top premiers crus. Grown on thin, poor soil and substrata (multiple layers of lava), the wine takes the best features of the soil. The wine has fantastic finesse and aromatic complexity, while the palate has abundant elegance, complexity and length.
Lighter yellow than the Charles Maxime but a bit hazy. Deep, rich nose conveys good lemon-limey lift. This, too, boasts a strong impression of acidity, with salty minerality contributing to its tactile, chewy texture. But this wine still needs the rounding influence of more élevage. 88-91 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media September 2017
2016 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Charmes RRP $206
The names Charmes was first mentioned back in 1366, and is a corruption of Chaume, which means land without vegetation. The land is flat with deep soil that grows frank, strong wines that are characterised more by intensity than finesse. The size of the vineyard (at 31 hectares, it’s the largest premier cru in Meursault) makes it difficult to generalise, but hazelnuts, butter, peach and vanilla characters are common. And it’s always pronounced. Domaine Latour-Giraud owns 50 ares of vines divided between lower and upper Charmes, which produce one bold cuvée, deep and fat, with a heady bouquet and rich texture.
(13.8% natural alcohol): Healthy light yellow. Musky stone and citrus fruit aromas are complemented by vanilla and hazelnut. Distinctly riper and sweeter than the Narvaux, with classic Meursault fullness to its flavors of stone fruits and spices. Nothing off-vintage about this dense, oily, voluminous wine, whose impression of sucrosité (it’s actually carrying close to 2.5 grams per liter of residual sugar) is nicely leavened by incisive acidity (4.8 grams per liter). Latour told me that when the sugars got down to about 2.5 grams in 2016, he chilled his cellar because he didn’t want higher alcohol “to burn the wines”. He felt that without a bit of residual sweetness, the wines would be too dry for their levels of alcohol. 90-93 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media September 2017
Once again there is a whiff of matchstick to the lightly wooded nose that reflects notes of hazelnut, lemon rind and white orchard fruit. The abundant dry extract imparts a suave mouth feel to the concentrated, powerful and vibrant flavors that culminate in a mildly warm and youthfully austere finale. This too will need at least a few years of cellaring first and reward 6 to 8. 90-92 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound June 2018
2016 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières RRP $206
The vineyards of Genevrières total 16 hectares in the heart of the Meursault premiers crus, south of the village. The name of the appellation comes from the juniper trees that used to grow there. Domaine Latour-Giraud is the most important owner of this fabulous premier cru, with 2.5Ha. Along with Perrières, this would be considered by most to be Meursault’s top premier cru. The wines have exquisite structure. Round, deep and smooth, it also has great elegance, finesse and raciness.
Pale, bright yellow. A musky essence of Meursault on the nose and palate: stone fruits, lime and hazelnut, plus a hint of oak char. This very tactile, saline wine shows less early sweetness than the Charmes (it’s a bit less advanced today) but it’s more complex and profound even if its components are not yet in perfect harmony. The long finish leaves behind a note of honey. This deep wine boasts terrific stuffing and should be a beauty. 91-94 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media September 2017
Naturally exotic aromas are composed of Asian-style tea and the essence of pear and acacia blossom. The middle weight flavors possess both a finer mouth feel as well as more minerality though not the same power as this is almost delicate on the cool, pure and admirably well-balanced finale. Lovely stuff. 90-93 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound June 2018
2016 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières ‘Cuvée des Pierre’ RRP $264
From 50+ year old vines
(Latour made four barrels, vs. a normal three): Medium bright yellow. Deep aromas of musky peach, mirabelle, menthol and flint; there’s something a bit sauvage here in a positive way. Dense, plush and sweet, displaying huge fruit in the context of the vintage. Pineapple, ripe peach and spice flavors are nicely framed by lively integrated acidity (actually a bit higher than the cuvée classique, which has 4.8 grams per liter) and buffered by dry extract. Finishes spicy and very long, with an impression of reserve. This youthfully laid-back wine still needs more élevage and should evolve slowly in bottle. Latour says it’s “at point zero today, between oxidation and reduction,” adding that the Puligny is “floral and joyous while this wine is more upright and rigorous but not austere.” 92-94 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media September 2017
A slightly more expressive nose is comprised by notes of green apple, gardenia, spiced tea and a hint of matchstick. The mouth feel of the ultra-refined yet powerful and serious flavors is presently quite compact while exhibiting an abundance of minerality that carries over to the beautifully well-balanced, youthfully austere and moderately dry finale. This should be excellent. 91-94 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound.com June 2018
2016 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Perrières RRP $223
The Perrières appellation is spread over 13 hectares and is divided into four parts between Blagny and Charmes. Along with Genevrières, it is the finest of the Meursault premiers crus. Its name comes from an old underground quarry which used to provide stones for building the village itself.
Domaine Latour-Giraud owns a little plot of 14 ares, which produces a sumptuous, brilliant and complex wine with almond nuances.
(aging in two 2014 barrels and one new one): Bright yellow. Ripe pear, peach and minerals on the nose, complicated by hazelnut and oatmeal nuances. Very plush, even glyceral wine with terrific fruit sweetness–although Latour noted that this cuvée finished its alcoholic fermentation drier and earlier than most of his other ’16s, by the Hospices de Beaune weekend in mid-November. Seems a bit soft–even exotic–for Perrières, not to mention more evolved than the Genevrières; Latour mentioned that he may bottle it earlier. Takes on a more saline character with aeration, with a touch of citrus zest bitterness giving grip to the finish. 90-92 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media September 2017
A cool and highly restrained nose requires aggressive swirling to reveal its aromas of Granny Smith apples, lavender and mineral-reduction. The energetic medium weight flavors brim with minerality while offering good power and drive on the refined and impressively long finish that is shaped by firm and bright acidity. This too is lovely. 90-93 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound June 2018
2016 Latour-Giraud Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet RRP $223
The 1er Cru vineyard of Champ Canet covers four hectares. Its wines tend to be delicate rather than sumptuous. Domaine Latour-Giraud owns 34 ares of vines in the north of the climat, planted on thin, stony soils. They produce a very elegant and fine wine with a slight floral bouquet, with a supple texture, sophisticated smoky nuances and almond notes on the finish.
A moderately exotic and phenolic nose (think olive oil nuances) displays notes of mandarin orange, pekoe tea, apple and plenty of floral elements. The rich, full-bodied and solidly constituted flavors possess buckets of sappy dry extract that confers an almost chewy texture on the strikingly persistent finish. 91-93 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound June 2018
2016 Latour-Giraud Pommard 1er Cru Refène RRP $190
The Refène climat is situated at the heart of the Pommard premiers crus, at the top of the village and next to the Clos de la Commaraine. It extends over 2.4Ha, and Domaine Latour owns 26 ares. The wine produced is typical of Pommard 1er Cru: rich, full-bodied and intense, with amplitude ahead of grace. Its powerful bouquet, its vibrant colour, its somewhat square structure are counterbalanced by earthy and smoky notes, and considerable length.
Deep ruby hue. Here too there is enough wood to mention framing the equally ripe if more elegant aromas of spice, cassis, black cherry and a touch of earth. The sleeker and slightly more precise medium-bodied flavors possess solid intensity and a bit more complexity on the balanced and lingering finish that is mildly firmer as well. 90 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound June 2018
2016 Latour-Giraud Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes RRP $190
Volnay’s 1er Cru vineyards begin in the mid-slope, sitting on shallow soils rich in iron on a rocky subsoil, producing intense wines that are deep in colour and rich and complex in flavour. The vineyards of the Clos des Chênes, named for the oak groves that were once found here, make up the largest of Volnay’s premiers crus, occupying 15.5 ares at the top of the village. Domaine Latour-Giraud owns 26 ares near the top of the hill. The clay contained in this patch adds strength and body to the delicacy of this wine, complemented by a silky palate and lovely woody notes on the bouquet.
This too is quite deeply colored. Notes of both wood and menthol set off the liqueur-like aromas of black pinot fruit, spice, newly turned earth and a floral nuance. The concentrated, powerful and imposingly-scaled big-bodied flavors possess a supple mid-palate that contrasts considerably with the tight, mildly austere and impressively long finish where an interesting hint of anise appears. This will need at least a few years of bottle age first, though that is virtually always the case with a well-made Clos des Chênes. 91 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound June 2018