Maison Louis Latour is one of Burgundy's largest and most established producers. In 1797, the Latour family founded Maison de Nègoce, a shipping company which would blossom into Maison Louis Latour. At the time, the family already owned vineyards, and had since 1731, but secondary production and distribution were their primary ventures.

In France during that era, many growers were too small to purchase the necessary equipment to vinify their grapes and bottle their wines. They also lacked contacts and customers to sell wines to. Négociants—wine merchants with big bank accounts and rosters of customers—purchased grapes, partially vinified wines, and full barrels which needed to be bottled, then completed whatever was left to do in the winemaking process. In 1867, Latour entered into the exclusive circle of négociants in Beaune after acquiring another shipper, then began to export wines all over the world.

Louis Latour is now the only estate in Burgundy with their own cooperage, and that allows them to customize barrels for each site and wine—an exceptionally rare practice that’s employed by some of the world’s best estates.

The Latours have owned land in the Côte d’Or for more than three centuries, and the estate has been family-run the entire time. Many have manned the helm over the years, but none were as memorable as the late Louis-Fabrice Latour. A member of the 11th generation of his family, he took over his family’s venerable 200-year-old winery in 1999, improving the quality of their offerings and expanding their holdings to build Latour into the icon it is today.

About Louis Latour