Château La Tour Blanche
Château La Tour Blanche is somewhat uncommon among its Bordeaux counterparts. It possesses a long and storied past, students of the enology trade learn their craft within its walls, and its location situated in the Sauternes sub-region of Bordeaux makes it kind of a no-brainer stop for anyone with an interest in the sweet Bordeaux wines. The wines made here are the perfect expression of their place: sweet, yes, but fresh, vibrant, and with an almost electric quality that compels you to take another sip.
History
Château La Tour Blanche is one of those places in Bordeaux where the past and present mix. The estate is in Bommes, right in the heart of Sauternes country. People have been making wine here for a long time: the name comes from Jean Saint-Marc du Latourblanche, who owned it back in the 1700s.
The château has had its share of owners. In the 1800s, a German named Frederic Focke took control and really got things stirring with the sweet Sauternes style that’s now made it famous. The estate hit a nice milestone in 1855 when it was named a Premier Cru in the official Bordeaux ranking. That’s the top level for Sauternes, so it’s in good company.
In 1907, a man of means named Daniel Iffla, who liked to style himself as Osiris, left the estate to the French government. His only condition was that it should become a place where they trained people in the art of winemaking. So now, it seems, La Tour Blanche is half vaunted vineyard, half school for winemakers, with students learning from the place's regular staff and working right alongside them. Thus, if you visit, there's a fair chance you might see students getting their hands dirty and working on Sauternes the way they might only work on Sauternes at, well, La Tour Blanche.
The Vineyards
Around 40 hectares form the vineyard; that's quite a good extent by Sauternes standards. Nearly all of it is planted with Sémillon; in the part of the vineyard, slightly more than half, planted with Sauvignon Blanc, the vines are arranged so that the grapes in the finished wine will taste like you had a Sémillon with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc in it. The Muscadelle is an entirely different story. The roughly 10 percent of the vineyard that is planted with it does something very special.
The really nice part is that every student from the wine school helps out with everything in the vineyard. You find them pruning, tying up vines, and picking grapes during harvest. The teachers insist on a mix of old traditions and new ideas, because they want the students to learn both.
The Terroir
Should you pose the question to anyone at La Tour Blanche regarding what it is that makes Sauternes unique, they will most likely tell you the tale of the weather. The two rivers, Ciron and Garonne, meet not too far away, and in the autumn, mornings tend to get very foggy. This is prime time for "noble rot": fungus that works its magic on the grapes. Indeed, it shrivels them up and makes them extraordinarily sweet.
The top layer of soil is mostly gravel, beneath which lie clay and limestone. The gravel layer is great for draining excess rainwater away from the vines. Too much direct moisture in the soil is bad for grapevines. So, the moisture-catching clay layer must be a blessing for a grapevine's health (unless the plant is in an otherwise poorly drained area, which could lead to root rot).
Way of Winemaking
Once the grapes are in, they get pressed gently, and the juice goes into oak barrels to ferment. The wine stays in those barrels for 16 to 18 months. Not every barrel makes the cut: only the best batches are blended into the main wine, which is bottled at the château.
Balance. That is what the winemakers always talk about. Sauternes is sweet, but it requires quite a lot of acidity to keep it fresh and alive. That's what the team was paying close attention to when they were tasting and blending the wine.
In addition to the principal wine, La Tour Blanche produces a second wine designated Les Charmilles, a dry white, and on occasion a rosé.
2 Fun Facts
- La Tour Blanche isn't merely a winery; it's also an institution where people learn to cultivate vines and produce wine. Many of those students go on to work in wineries across France and elsewhere.
- Status: The estate has been a Premier Cru since 1855, which is a pretty rare honor in Sauternes. Long-Running
Read moreGrapes in wines from Chateau La Tour Blanche
The main grape here is Sémillon, which makes up about 80% of the vineyard. It's a grape that fits perfectly in the local soil and supplies the wine with its texture. Sauvignon Blanc contributes about 15% and Muscadelle comes in at about 5% for a whiff of flowery perfume.
Harvesting is a challenge and team effort. The pickers move through the vines several times, once and again, taking only those grapes that have caught the noble rot. It’s slow work, and the can stretch out for weeks, but it’s absolutely the only way to get the right grapes for Sauternes.