A couple of weekends ago I somehow ended up at a party in the Stockholm suburb of Flemingsberg. I had a strangely good time and managed to leave just before a big fight broke out. The world works in mysterious ways and instead of heading back in to town I found myself travelling even further south by commuter train and bus. Eventually this magical journey took me to bohemian-chic slumber party in an apartment building in Tumba. It was about 2:30 am and I asked if there was anything to drink there. Immediately a nice girl handed me a glass of red wine that I assumed was simple table wine. Even though it was late and I had had a couple of drinks the first sip made me realize that I actually had something really good in my glass. I asked to look at the bottle and to my surprise it was a Château Latour-Martillac 2011. Thank you so much!
Western Taste really recommends you to try this wine so below you can find a short review.
Château Latour-Martillac, previously Château La Tour-Martillac and known as Kressmann La Tour, is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation. The winery is located in the central part of France’s Bordeaux wine region Graves, in the commune of Martillac. The earliest records concerning Latour-Martillac as a vineyard, however, date only to the 19th century. At this time it seems that the property was part of the Montesquieu estate, which also included the nearby Château la Brède, where the famous philosopher Charles-Louis de Secondat (better known simply as Montesquieu) was born and bred. Although it was during this time that Latour-Martillac developed a separate identity, the wines were not widely known or of any great repute. This did not change when the estate came under the dominion of Charropin, a native of Bordeaux who accrued his wealth in the practice of law, and it was not until the Kressmanns, a
family of German descent, arrived on the scene that things were to change in this particular Graves vineyard. Edward Kressmann landed in Bordeaux in the 1860s and quickly set up in the wine trade, and by 1871 he was distributing the wines of Latour-Martillac. The family's involvement with the domaine increased over the years, first taking on responsibility for the viticulture, before finally purchasing it outright in 1929. They have owned it ever since.
The vineyard area extends 42 hectares (100 acres), of which 33 ha (82 acres) are dedicated to the red wine varieties, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petit verdot, and 9 ha (22 acres) for white wine production of the varieties 55% Sémillon, 40% Sauvignon blanc, and 5% Muscadelle. The annual production averages 20,000 cases of the red Grand Vin and 11,000 of the dry white. Of the second wine Lagrave Martillac made from the estate's youngest vines, there are produced 4,000 cases of red and 2,000 cases of dry white.
Château Latour-Martillac 2011 is one of the best wines that Pessac-Leognan appellation has
produced in a long time. Initially it reveals a note of spicy oak, but that quickly fades to the
background as the black currant and sweet cherry fruit characteristics emerge. It has core of black currant, crushed plum and fig notes laced judiciously with sweet toast and graphite notes. Firmly tannic on the initial taste finishes with nice dry tannins. It is fresh and medium-bodied and all of this results in a delicious wine that should evolve for 12-15 years.
If this hasn’t persuaded you to try this wine I can add that Château Latour-Martillac 2011 was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator.
This article has been inspired by an article from Chris Kissack (the Wine Doctor).
Written by Kristian Kull
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