Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

When Jean Latour established the house in 1797 — the family's vine ownership already traceable to 1731 — the winemaking infrastructure he built at Corton Grancey was designed around gravity alone: five levels cut into the hillside so that fruit, must, and wine would never be pumped. That same gravity-flow philosophy governs this Charmes-Chambertin today.

The parcel sits on the brown limestone cone-alluvial soils of Gevrey-Chambertin's Grand Cru belt — a geology that delivers both structural depth and the iron-tinged, earthy complexity that separates Charmes from the more opulent southern Côte de Nuits. 100% hand-harvested Pinot Noir is fully destemmed and crushed, then fermented for approximately 14 days in large open wooden vats with manual pigeage.

Aging proceeds in 100% new French oak barrieres, medium toast, built at the Louis Latour in-house cooperage from oak air-dried 24–36 months, for 10–12 months. No fining is required because the house openly flash-pasteurises all red wines at approximately 72°C

for 2–3 seconds before bottling — the only major Burgundy producer to do so consistently — allowing the wine to fall clear naturally over 2–3 months post-treatment.

The 2012 vintage in Burgundy delivered cool-season precision: firm acidity, restrained fruit concentration, and tannin architecture built for the long term. Drink 2020–2032.