These are beautiful wines full of energy, both Jean-Pierre’s and Burghounds comments of elegance, transparency and finesse resonate. And, yes they do have the concentration of flavour to match!
With old vine holdings in the best Permier Cru’s in Meursault he certainly has the material to work with. The vitality and energy of these wines is entrancing.
Today we offer a suite of Premier Cru’s from Meusault alongside the 1er Cru Champ-Canet from Puligny. Reviews of the wines are below.
About Latour-Giraud
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 5 Premiers crus of Meursault: Les Genevrières, Les Charmes, Les Perrières, Les Bouchères and Le Poruzot.
Jean-Pierre is essentially a one-man show. He first got his hands dirty in the cellar back in 1983, then took the helm in ‘93. It’s now more than 10 years 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”.
In the Vineyard
Since the 1990’s, with the arrival of the articulate and perfectionist winemaker, Jean-Pierre Latour, the estate has undergone what the Review des Vins de France has called “a true cultural revolution.” In a major commitment to improving quality, the estate adopted organic agricultural practices and reduced yields to 25-35 hectoliters per hectare.
In the Winery
In recent times investments were made in new pneumatic presses, crusher-destemmers and temperature controlled stainless steel fermenting tanks
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.
About the 2017 Vintage at Domaine Latour-Giraud
I’ve had the good fortune to try 2017 Whites from across the Côtes de Beaune. Generally I’m seeing good fruit depth and length. The best wines maintain a lovely balance with acidity that is vibrant and refreshing, despite the warmth of the year.
Jean-Pierre Latour is not a man given to overstatement, but he was super-excited about the 2017 vintage. Where some recorded a boost in yields following the hail- and frost-hit harvests that preceded it, his production from the premiers crus was only on a par with ’16. “As to the wines, I view the 2017s as appealing to two different audiences, which is not always the case,” Jean-Pierre told Allen Meadows of Burghound. “Casual consumers will like the fact that the whites will be both approachable and enjoyable young as there is good mid-palate fat and the acidities are adequate but not really high. By contrast, connoisseurs will admire the wines for their elegance, finesse and transparency to the underlying terroir. Either way, to me they are concentrated, serious and ageworthy.”
I entirely agree with Latour’s take on his wines as they are indeed lovely.
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Latour started harvesting on August 28 (with his early-ripening Meursault vines in Bouchères, Poruzots and Perrières ) and then paused during the rain on the 30th. Yields were moderate here (about 45 hectoliters per hectare for village vines and 35 for the crus, according to Latour), as there were some crop losses due to heat during the flowering. Grape sugars were high—up to 13.8% potential alcohol for the Genevrières, but even the Meursault villages averaged about 13.3%. The malic acidity was burned off by the summer heat but the grapes retained high tartaric acidity, and his ‘17s finished their malos with between 4 and 4.2 grams per liter of acidity and pHs around 3.22.
The alcoholic fermentations were not easy in ’17, he went on. His village wines finished their sugars by October 20, which is close to normal here, but the premier crus that were harvested with about 13.5% potential alcohol finished between late November and mid-December, and the malos were done by March. Latour noted that in 2017, the fruit covers the wines’ tannins “and one is more aware of the influence of the sun than in the ‘16s.”
Where in the World are Latour-Giraud’s Vineyards?
In the video below you can see Latour-Giraud’s old vine 1er Cru ‘Genevrières’. Notice how it’s higher up the slope. As you look down the slope behind Jean-Pierre the vineyards change from 1er Cru to village and then appellation Bourgogne vineyards on the flats. A typical pattern you’ll see right along both the Côtes-de-Beaune and Côtes-de-Nuits.
Latour-Giraud’s Vineyards are located in the Côtes-de-Beaune in the Village of Meursault just to the north of Puligny-Montrachet. He also holds a parcel of 1er Cru Champ Canet in Puligny, 1er Cru Pommard and Volnay for reds.
Want to know more about Meursault? Check out this article in the Wine Bites Mag: Getting Your Head Around Burgundy Part 5 – The White Village of Meursault
About the Wines
2017 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Charmes
The names Charmes was first mentioned back in 1366, and is a corruption of Chaume, which mean s 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.
A ripe and quite spicy nose offers up notes of honeysuckle, white peach, roasted nut and a hint of acacia. The exceptionally rich, even opulent flavors coat the palate with dry extract before terminating in a clean, intense and discreetly mineral-suffused finale. I really like the sappy, even seductive, texture thanks to the abundant extract and this should age effortlessly
Pale-medium yellow. Subtly perfumed nose combines lemon drop, nectarine, mirabelle and hazelnut. Strong and sappy but smooth as well, showing lovely fruit intensity and depth. A firm mineral underpinning contributes to the wine's impression of precision and youthful linearity, and its touch of sweetness is perfectly buffered by sound acidity. A very refined, fine-grained, promising Charmes with noteworthy energy and rising length. The crop level here was a reasonable 39 hectoliters per hectare, according to Jean-Pierre Latour.
2017 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières
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.
A softly wooded and slightly more elegant nose displays a subtle exoticism on the cool acacia blossom, lemon, Asian-style tea and white fruit aromas. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the more evidently mineral-driven flavors that don't possess the same richness or volume but are markedly finer on the highly persistent if ever-so-mildly warm bone dry finish. This isn't quite as fine as the Bouchères but offers slightly better overall depth and persistence.
The crop level was just 35 hectoliters per hectare owing to losses during the flowering. Bright, light yellow with a green tinge. Captivating aromas of lemon, lime and powdered stone, with riper peach and apricot scents emerging with air. In a gentle, distinctly creamy style and balanced from the start, already conveying sexy sweetness to its fruit-driven flavors of stone fruits and lime flower. Finishes very smooth and long. One feels the evidence of the late-August heat; today this wine seems lower in acidity than the Charmes but it's fat and ripe and should be a popular style. This fruit bomb should benefit from the firming effect of a second winter in barrel.
2017 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières ‘Cuvée des Pierre’
From 50+ year old vines.
Touches of matchstick character and the exotic add breadth to the cool and overtly spicy green fruit and citrus peel-scented aromas. There is more volume to the almost painfully intense middle weight flavors that possess excellent cut before terminating in a mineral-driven, bitter lemon-inflected and slightly warm finish that delivers fine length. The old vines are in evidence as this is a big and unusually powerful Genevrières. 92 points.
Latour has three barrels of this juice, one new, one once-used and one twice-used. Pale, bright yellow. Very pure, minerally aromas of underripe pineapple, soft citrus fruits, white pepper, hazelnut, wild herbs and menthol. Thick, concentrated and very deep, conveying a powerful impression of solidity. The wine's pronounced soft citrus fruit sweetness is counterpointed by salty minerality. Most impressive today on the slowly mounting, savory finish, which boasts terrific building energy. This sappy, utterly seamless wine would be unctuous were it not for its 4.5 g/l acidity, the highest among these 2017s. Owing to the advanced age of these vines and to heat during the flowering, the yield here was just 20 hectoliters per hectare, according to Latour, who added that this wine "gives the real image of the vintage." I disagree, as there are very few 2017 premier crus at the quality level of this one.
2017 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Perrières
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.
This too is wonderfully elegant with its airy and distinctly cool blend of mineral reduction, green apple, spiced pear and jasmine tea. The sleek, sophisticated and focused middle weight flavors brim with both dry extract and an almost pungent minerality on the textured and exceptionally intense finish that goes on and on. This is really lovely though note well that at least some patience will be required.
One of the three barrels was new, the other two from 2015. Bright, light yellow with a green tinge. Ripe but reticent nose hints at pineapple, dusty rock and marzipan (one of the three barrels is going through an oxidative phase). Sappy, thick and palate-saturating, with its mineral density leavening this very rich wine's sweetness of fruit. Not a creamy style but finishes with impressive building length, excellent savory grip and an absence of hard edges. Latour describes this wine as "not too large," noting that he picked the fruit early, on August 28 or 29.
2017 Latour-Giraud Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet
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.
This too is very pretty if slightly riper and a bit more expressive as well with its array of essence of poached pear and apple scents that are trimmed in soft spice and white flower nuances. There is fine volume to the solidly concentrated medium-bodied flavors that are at once caressing yet punchy, all wrapped in a lingering if slightly warm finish. This too is really quite good and a wine that should reward up to a decade of cellaring.
25% new oak. Bright, light yellow. Peach, nut oils and hazelnut on the nose; also conveying a hint of tiredness from a barrel in an oxidative phase. Broad on entry, then rich, thick and concentrated but quite dry in the middle palate. Turns tighter, more linear and more classic on the back end, finishing with resounding flavors of stone fruits, citrus peel and stony minerality. The crop level was 40 hectoliters per hectare, according to Latour.
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