Grand Vin de Château Latour 1973

A bottle of Château Latour Grand Vin, 1973 Vintage.
Premier Grand Cru Classé.
Category: red wine. Pauillac, Bordeaux.
Level: B
The Château Latour wine estate, classified as Premier Cru in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, is located in the southeast of Pauillac, in the Médoc region, part of the Bordeaux wine region. The winery produces a total of three types of red wine: its Grand Vin, the second wine Forts de Latour, marketed since 1966, and a third wine called simply "Pauillac", since 1990. Although vines have existed on the site since the 14th century, Château Latour's history as a reputable vineyard began in the late 17th century, when it was inherited by Alexandre de Ségur, who added Château Lafite to it in 1716. In 1728 his son Nicolas-Alexandre expanded the estate by acquiring the Mouton and Calon-Ségur châteaus, and began producing wines of great quality. By 1800 the wines of this winery were worth twenty times that of an average Bordeaux; its classification as one of the four Premier Crus in 1855 ensured its continued success, and in the 1880s the present château was built. The estate has 78 hectares of vineyards, producing Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Merlot (18%) and Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot (2%). The Grand Vin Château Latour, typically 75% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, with the balance of petit verdot and cabernet franc, has a production of 18,000 cases. The second wine Les Fort de Latour (70% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot) produces an average of 11,000 cases per year.