A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Pauillac, France by TravelPod blogger Tommays titled "Chateau Latour visit" Tommays's travel blog entry: "From our bedroom window we can watch the sunrise over the Latour vineyards. Using a golf ****ogy Latour is like Augusta National, everything is pristine. Intermixed within Latour's vines are the Petite Verdot vines of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a second growth in the 1855 classification. Different color Rose bushes are planted at the end of rows of vines signifying to which chateau the vines belong. La tour is one of three first growth chateaux located in the Pauillac. It's vineyards are only 300 m from the Gironde River which separates the right and left banks of Bordeaux. The rocky terrior and the cooling breezes off the Gironde are the secrets of Latour fruit. It's most famous icon, other than the wine itself, is the tower. The original tower dated to the early 14th century and was a military outpost. The current tower was re-built between 1620 and 1630. The Latour vineyards border those of Leoville Las Cases of St. Julien. Natural boundaries, in this case a drainage c**** to the Gironde, designate the separation between the two vineyards. Large monoliths along the road also identify the separation of the properties. While the history and tradition of Latour are it's primary marketing tools the making of the wine is definitely high tech. Only stainless steel vats are now used for both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation with temperature precisely controlled by computers. Bottle washing, filling and labeling all occur without human intervention but the final step, the wrapping of the Grand Vin, still has the individual touch. After each vintage bottles find their way to the Latour cellars taking their place with bottles from vintages through-out the ages. After touring the vineyards, the wine making facilities, the cellars and tasting the Grand Vin we were off to Chateau Leoville Las Cases, in St. Julien. Loving it hear, Tom and Lynda" Read and see more at: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tommays/france_2005/1117027800/tpod.html Photos from this trip: 1. "Latour 1" 2. "Latour 2" 3. "Latour 3" 4. "Latour 4" 5. "Latour 5" See this TripWow and more at http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-00cb-c35e-0650?ytv4=1

• published: 15 Feb 2011
• views: 280