Château Latour-Martillac
Château Latour-Martillac
#PROPERTY: History & Terroir
History of Château Latour-Martillac
The Latour-Martillac estate embodies a rich history, intimately linked to its heritage and family commitment. Nestled in Martillac, the estate takes its name from a historic tower dating back to the 12th century, a symbol of its heritage from Montesquieu's ancestors.
Through the generations, each owner, from Edouard Kressmann to the current Tristan and Loïc, has left his mark on this vineyard. Initially famous for its quality white wines, the estate has broadened its renown by developing red wines that have even been selected for prestigious events such as Edward VII's coronation banquet.
Latour-Martillac's viticulture is meticulously meticulous, with 55 hectares of undulating gravel, sand and clay soils dedicated to specific grape varieties. Red wines, made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, coexist with whites from Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle. The average vine age of 35 years, combined with a planting density ranging from 7200 to 8500 vines per hectare, illustrates the meticulous attention paid to quality.
Latour-Martillac's recognition as a Grand Cru for its red and white wines testifies to the consistent excellence of its production. This remarkable quality is combined with an attractive price/quality ratio, reinforcing the estate's reputation. Alongside its main wines, Latour-Martillac also produces a second wine, "Lagrave-Martillac", offering a diversity of products while maintaining high quality standards.
In this way, Latour-Martillac embodies a centuries-old tradition, a passion for quality and a continuing vision of excellence, carried forward by each generation that has preserved and enhanced this precious wine heritage.
Who owns Château Latour-Martillac?
The saga of the Kressmann family began in 1930, when Alfred Kressmann acquired Château Latour-Martillac, attracted by the reputation of the region's white wines. This move marked the beginning of a winegrowing history steeped in passion and tradition.
In 1953, the youngest son, Jean Kressmann, took over the reins of the estate, marking a decisive turning point with the award of the prestigious title of "Cru Classé de Graves". For almost half a century, Jean, supported by his children, invested all his know-how and dedication to sublimating this exceptional Pessac-Léognan terroir.
Today, Tristan and Loïc Kressmann, heirs to this age-old tradition, fervently carry on the family commitment. Passionate about enhancing the value of these precious vineyards, they cultivate a heritage where tradition and excellence combine to give birth to exceptional wines, echoing the history and dedication that drive the Kressmann family terroir.
The terroir of the Kressmann vineyard
The terroir of Château Latour-Martillac is a true geological heritage, shaped by a unique soil composed of Graves and Pyrenean strata.
The Graves, made up of gravel, sand and pebbles, provide an ideal base for growing grapes. This soil provides excellent drainage, limiting the risk of excess water around the roots. This characteristic is crucial for controlling vine yields and favoring optimal concentration of aromas and flavors in the grapes.
Pyrenean strata add a further dimension to this terroir. Stemming from the ancient Pyrenean mountains, these geological strata may contain specific minerals and nutrients that contribute to the complexity of the soils. This mineral diversity often lends a distinctive personality to the wines produced, adding unique nuances and characteristics that are revealed in the glass.
Closer to the Garonne, the soils adopt a clay-limestone composition, while retaining a gravelly surface layer. This is where our Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes reveal their full potential, perfectly capturing the essence of this terroir.
#WINES FROM THE DOMAIN: Appellations and Cuvées
The Pessac-Léognan appellation
The Pessac-Léognan appellation, anchored in the heart of the Bordeaux wine region, embodies a prestigious winegrowing heritage. Its Graves soils, combining gravel, sand and pebbles, are ideal for the development of emblematic grape varieties. The red wines, generous and elegant, reveal deep aromas reminiscent of ripe fruit and spices, while the white wines captivate with their lively freshness and aromatic complexity, oscillating between citrus and exotic nuances. This appellation, steeped in a long tradition, remains a pillar of excellence, offering wines of remarkable finesse, cut for long ageing and bearing the unique authenticity of this wine-growing land.
Discover our selection of Pessac-Léognan wines
Château Latour-Martillac vintages
Château Latour-Martillac white Grand Cru Classé de Graves
Lagrave-Martillac white
Lacroix-Martillac white
Château Latour-Martillac red Grand Cru Classé de Graves
Lagrave-Martillac red
Lacroix-Martillac red
Château Latour-Martillac : Every year, the estate's most exceptional plots are meticulously selected to make the first wines, whether red or white. This demanding task is led by Loïc Kressmann and Valérie Vialard, our oenologist, with the support of renowned consultants. The selection process is rigorous, aiming to extract the very best from each harvest, embodying the excellence sought for each vintage.
Lagrave-Martillac represents the second wine of Latour-Martillac, born in 1986 for its red version and in 1990 for its white version. Both wines derive from specific selections of the estate's young vines. The technical team keeps a close eye on every stage of vinification, applying the same quality standards as for the first wine. In this way, each Lagrave-Martillac embodies the expertise and meticulous attention paid to its creation.
Lacroix-Martillac finds its essence in carefully selected parcels of Château Latour-Martillac, favoring the Merlot grape variety in the blending of red wines. Vintage after vintage, the Kressmann family strives to reflect all the authentic essence of the Graves terroir in these wines. Their perpetual quest is to reconcile quality with respect for viticultural traditions, favoring quality over yield, and highlighting the singular richness of this exceptional terroir.
Château Latour-Martillac, a Graves grand cru classé, expresses all its greatness through exceptional vintages. From the refinement of Château Latour-Martillac - Pessac Léognan - 2018 to the timeless elegance of Château Latour-Martillac 2017 red, each bottle reveals the soul and finesse of these exceptional lands. The 2018 edition of Château Latour-Martillac rouge continues this tradition of excellence, capturing the very essence of this iconic vineyard.
The best vintages of Château Latour-Martillac 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
What is the purchase price and where can I buy Château Latour-Martillac wines?
Latour-Martillac wines, whether their first wine or their second wine, can vary in price, per bottle, from a few dozen to several hundred euros, or even more for exceptional vintages or special bottle formats (such as magnums or larger-capacity bottles).
#IN BRIEF: Figures
Region : Bordeaux
Appellation : Pessac-Léognan
Surface area : 55 Hectares
Red grape varieties : Petit Verdot (5%), Merlot (40%), Cabernet-Sauvignon (55%)
White grape varieties : Sémillon (40%), Sauvignon blanc (60%)
Vine cultivation : Raisonnée