Domaine Vincent Latour

Founded in 1792 and known for most of its history as Domaine Latour-Labille, Domaine Vincent Latour is based in the very centre of Meursault. This family estate is now run by Vincent and his wife, Cécile. It covers nine hectares of enviable holdings, principally in Meursault but also in the neighbouring villages of Volnay, Pommard, Chassagne-Montrachet and St Aubin. The estate fruit is supplemented by some grape purchases equating to around three or four hectares.

Stylistically, Vincent’s white wines sit in a happy mid-point between the traditional, rich and broad-shouldered Meursault of old and the early picked, austere and reductive style that has become fashionable recently. He seeks sucrosity and ripeness while aiming to retain freshness and tension. As such, the wines tend to appeal to traditional and modern tastes alike.

The fruit is crushed before pressing, then the juice is lightly settled before fermentation in barrel. Vincent does not do any bâtonnage. The wines are aged on fine lees for their first year in barrel, before spending the second winter in tank or foudre to harmonise before bottling. Vincent favours larger oak barrels of around 500 litres as opposed to the traditional 228-litre pièce historically used in Burgundy. This gives the wines greater freshness and energy and reduces the impact of the wood on the wine. As such, oak plays a supporting role, and the wines have purity of fruit and a fresh, mineral structure.