Winemaker: Jean-Charles Thomas
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Côteaux de l’Ardèche, Burgundy, France
Maison Louis Latour was founded in 1797 and is today directed by 7th Louis Latour, remaining all those decades a family-owned business. The family owns 50 hectares of Grand and Premier Crus, and is a member of Henokiens Society, that brings together independent companies with at least 200 years of age.
Some of their wines are fermented in more than century old oak vats, but they use a robot to stack the bottles. As they say, between those two extremes nothing has changed. The winery they still makes its own harvest baskets by hand, just like the oak casks produced by the Latour cooperage since 1898. Their casks are now used by the greatest foreign winemakers around the world.
Louis Latour is one of the most important Burgundy producers, harvesting in some top appellations of famous Burgundy region. Their wines from the village of Ardèche are getting the similar personal attention and care as their highest priced Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne – Montrachet or Mersault-Blagny Premier Cru wines.
It was always a real treat to taste their newly released wines of the vintage in the row. Latour family has an impressive portfolio that represents unique taste profiles of different appellations of Burgundy. It is a very different Chardonnay that we are used to from California. These are some top Chardonnays of the world.
Family Latour produces four different Chardonnays at the appellation Côteaux de l’Ardèche: Chardonnay Ardèche, crisp and fruity wine with a very clean floral and green apple notes and lovely, long finish. Duet, really lovely composition of Chardonnay with Viognier is crisp and refreshing summer wine. Also Viognier, that I never had a pleasure to taste yet.
The main difference between Chardonnay Ardèche and Grand Ardèche is in the taste profile, selection of the fruit, stainless steel fermentation for a crisp Ardèche as opposed to oak barrel aging for rounded and big Grand Ardèche. Both Chardonnays are incredible and worth to taste. The price of these wines is seriously more than decent.
Louis Latour Chardonnay Grand Ardèche aged for 8-10 months in oak barrels with 100% malolactic fermentation.
Tasting notes:
Rich yellow color has a lovely aroma of white fruit and vanilla. Rich and round flavors of buttery exotic fruit and generous body of this white wine creates almost creamy texture in your mouth. Beautifully balanced acidity with light spice and vanilla from the oak. Long, pleasant finish. Great value!
Dry – Off dry – Medium sweet – Sweet
Light – Medium – Full body
No oak – Aged in oak
Retail price: under $ 15.00
Ideal food pairing:
lovely to sip on its own, fish with creamy sauces, chicken or pork, vegetables with butter based sauces
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Thank you Berbecutio, I appreciate it! What language is your blog written in?
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Thanks for the great review!
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