Chateau La Tour Blanche 2016

SKU
LTSE201610 UCAU
  • "This is a superb La Tour Blanche with style and elegance." Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
  • " Its texture and tangy edge are impressive and will certainly allow it to age." Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast
  • "Sweet and flavorful. Big wine on the finish." James Suckling
  • 1 or more bottles
    $75.99
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  • Neal Martin
    96* points
  • Wine Enthusiast
    96* points
  • James Suckling
    94* points
  • Jancis Robinson
    17 points

Editors notes

Chateau La Tour Blanche is best served at 14 degrees Celsius. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

"The 2016 La Tour Blanche has a typically rich bouquet with clear honey, orange blossom and a touch of dried mango. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, fine tension, great detail on the finish that lingers long in the mouth." Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

Details

Tasting Profile

  • Light (Light)
    Full (Full)
  • Low Tannin (Low Tannin)
    Tannic (Tannic)
  • Sweet (Sweet)
    Dry (Dry)
  • Low Acidity (Low Acidity)
    High Acidity (High Acidity)
  • Aroma
    • Lemon
    • Mineral
    • White Flowers
  • Palate
    • Lemon Zest
    • Slate
    • Stonefruit

Food Pairings

  • Asian
  • Fish
  • Shellfish

Critic Scores & reviews

  • Neal Martin

    96*
    "The 2016 La Tour Blanche has a typically rich bouquet with clear honey, orange blossom and a touch of dried mango. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, fine tension, great detail on the finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is a superb La Tour Blanche with style and elegance. 94-96 points."
  • Wine Enthusiast

    96*
    "Barrel Sample. Structured and concentrated, this is a rich wine that is also fruity and packed with botrytis and acidity. Its texture and tangy edge are impressive and will certainly allow it to age. 94-96 points. Roger Voss"
  • James Suckling

    94*
    "Very rich and dense with dried apples, honey and lemons as well as some spices and richness. Sweet and flavorful. Big wine on the finish. 93-94 points."
  • Jancis Robinson MW

    17
    "Broad, massive in scale with exuberant botrytis and then masses of acidity. Pure grapefruit syrup for the moment! Not the subtlest. Drink 2025-2040."

Other vintages

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Current auction

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Locations

France

Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.

Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.

Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)

The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux has a rich history of winemaking, dating back to the Roman times. Today, it is known as one of the most significant wine regions in the world, with a reputation for producing complex, full-bodied red wines. The region is home to a diverse range of terroirs, each with its own unique microclimate, soil composition, and grape varieties.

The left bank of Bordeaux is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives in the region's gravelly soils. These wines tend to be bold, tannic, and complex, with notes of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco. On the right bank, Merlot is king, producing wines that are softer and fruitier, with notes of plum, cherry, and chocolate.

Aside from the red blends, Bordeaux is also renowned for its sweet wines, particularly from the Sauternes and Barsac appellations. These wines are made using a unique process that involves botrytis, or "noble rot," which concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in a lusciously sweet and complex wine.

Bordeaux's classification system has evolved over time, with some estates moving up or down the ranks depending on the quality of their wines. Today, the system includes five growths, with Premier Cru being the highest and Deuxièmes Crus being the second-highest. There is also a separate classification for the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, with Chateau d’Yquem holding the highest rank.

Overall, Bordeaux is a region that continues to captivate wine enthusiasts around the world with its rich history, diverse terroirs, and exceptional wines.

Graves

Graves is a large appellation for both white and red wines in Bordeaux, France. It sits south of the city of Bordeaux, bordered by the Garonne River to the east and the Landes forest to the west. It is also Bordeaux’s oldest viticultural zone, with grapegrowing dating back as far as the Middle Ages. The appellation takes its name from the gravelly soils that dominate vineyards here. Graves makes dry white wines from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. These wines are citrusy, fruity, and floral, with some nutty notes and a hint of minerality, and they can gain both body and refinement with age. For red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon is the primary grape variety, and there are plantings of Merlot, too. These reds boast floral and spicy aromas and rich flavours of blackberry. Premium examples can be impressive expressions, with ageing potential of five to 15 years.

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Frequently Bought With

About the brand Chateau la Tour Blanche

Chateau La Tour Blance, following in the tradition of the times, takes its name from the founder of the estate, Jean Saint Marc du Latourblanche. Skipping ahead about 100 years, give or take, the next important chapter in the history of Chateau La Tour Blanche takes place during the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux wine.

In fact, in those days, the estate was one of the most respected in the Sauternes appellation, not that far behind Chateau d'Yquem! At the time, the estate was the property of a German citizen, Frederic Focke.

Frederic Focke is known for trying to take credit for introducing the concept of making sweet wines that had been infected by noble rot, better known as botrytis in Sauternes. Of course that is not correct as the region has a long history of producing sweet wine that dates back to at least the mid to early 1700's.

The modern era of Chateau La Tour Blanche really begins thanks to Daniel Osiris Iffla. Daniel Osiris Iffla gifted the chateau and vineyard to the French Government with the condition that a Bordeaux Wine School be created on the Sauternes property.

In 1909, The Ministry of Agriculture finally agreed and created the La Tour Blanche School of Viticulture and Enology. Construction was completed two years later in 1911. To commemorate this gift, the name of Osiris is still seen on the label of Chateau La Tour Blanche which states “Donation Osiris”.

Despite its unusual status, Chateau La Tour Blanche is run by people experienced in the Bordeaux wine business.

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