Chateau La Tour Blanche Sauternes Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau La Tour Blanche Sauternes, Premiers Crus with wine tasting notes, and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, the history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau La Tour Blanche History, Overview

Chateau La Tour Blanche, 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 1700s.

The modern era of Chateau La Tour Blanche really begins thanks to Daniel Osiris Iffla. Daniel Osiris 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.

Chateau La Tour Blanche Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 44 hectare Sauternes vineyard of Chateau La Tour Blanche has 40 hectares of vines planted to 83% Semillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle. That gives La Tour Blanche one of the higher concentrations of Muscadelle in all of Bordeaux.

The terroir is a mix of gravel, clay, sand, and limestone soil. The vine density is 6,200 vines per hectare. The vineyard is in one, large parcel of vines, in a prime location, not far from the Ceron river. There are good elevations here, as at the top of the slopes are close to 67 meters at their peak.

They also maintain 4 hectares of vines for red wine grapes planted to 100% Merlot.

To vinify the wine of Chateau La Tour Blanche, vinification takes place in a combination of 100% new, French oak barrels and one-year-old, French oak barrels and steel vats. The Semillon is aged in 35% new, French oak barrels for 16 to 18 months, while the Sauvignon Blanc and the Muscadelle are aged for 16-18 months in stainless steel vats before blending and bottling.

The best vintages of Chateau La Tour Blanche are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2001, 1997, 1990, 1989 and 1988.

On average, the annual production of Chateau La Tour Blanche is close to 6,000 cases per year. There is a second wine, Les Charmilles de La Tour Blanche. The estate also makes 4 dry white Bordeaux wines, DUO de La Tour Blanche, Isis, Osiris, and Jardins de Thinoy. Additionally, La Tour Blanche also produces Cru du Cinquet, a red Bordeaux wine from 100% Merlot.

When to Drink Chateau La Tour Blanche, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau La Tour Blanche can be enjoyed on the young side with no decanting. In fact, it is delicious and quite a treat young, even on release! However, like all great wines, Chateau La Tour Blanche is much better with age and does not reach full maturity until it’s between 12-30 years of age, or in some years, perhaps even longer in the best vintages! That is when the magic happens!

But that is unrealistic for 99% of the world’s wine drinkers. So, enjoy it at any special occasion that calls for it.

Of course, the wine is sweet, but there is so much, incredible, racy acidity, the wine always feels fresh, and never cloying, which makes it quite fun to enjoy young. With Chateau La Tour Blanche and frankly, all Sauternes, the temperature is more important than decanting.

Serving Chateau La Tour Blanche with Wine and Food Pairings

Chateau La Tour Blanche is best served at 14 degrees Celsius, 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The wine will naturally warm in the glass, while it develops more aromatic complexities and fleshes out.

Chateau La Tour Blanche can be served with seafood dishes, especially shellfish, lobster, crab, and oysters on the half shell. Foie gras is a perfect pairing with its natural sweet, salty and savory characteristics. Chateau La Tour Blanche can also be paired with roasted chicken, veal, and pork dishes that are either spicy or prepared with a touch of sweetness.

Spicy Asian cuisine, raw fish, like sushi or sashimi, and cheese, both hard and soft also make great pairings with Chateau La Tour Blanche.

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