Château Latour-Martillac

The history of Château Latour-Martillac

The first part of the estate's name, Latour, comes from the tower that already stood in the courtyard of honor of the fortress that preceded the château in the 12th century. At the end of the 18th century, the fort was demolished and its stones used to build the château.

In 1871, Édouard Kressmann, who had just founded his trading house in Bordeaux, took notice of the estate's white wines. He passed on his passion to his eldest son, Alfred, who acquired the château in 1930. To differentiate himself from the château of the same name in the Médoc, the new owner simply changed the name by adding the commune, and Château Latour-Martillac was born.

At the time, the vineyard covered some 15 hectares, mainly planted with white grapes. Alfred added new plots of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 1953, the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine classified the Graves region. Sixteen châteaux were distinguished. Château Latour-Martillac was one of six estates classified as both red and white.

The restructuring of Château Latour-Martillac was continued by Alfred's son, Jean Kressmann, who took over management in 1954. The vineyard doubled in size.

Today, Jean's children, Tristan and Loïc, manage the estate. They have further extended the vineyard with a number of plots.

The Château Latour-Martillac vineyard

The Château Latour-Martillac vineyard today covers 56 hectares. A mosaic of gravels occupies the ridge of the Martillac plateau that dominates the estate. The soil is composed of lydian, jasper and flint, making it poor and draining, ideal for growing Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The part closer to the Garonne is more clay-limestone, still dominated by some gravel. Here, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are grown.

Another, older parcel, Grattecap (from the Latin "gratum caput" meaning "vines with delicious wine") is dedicated to Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Each Château Latour-Martillac parcel is vinified separately, with the utmost respect for the environment. The grapes are harvested by hand.

The wines of Château Latour-Martillac

Château Latour-Martillac wines are renowned within the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Each range is available in red and white.

Château Latour-Martillac

Château Latour-Martillac is the estate's first wine. It benefits from grapes from the best plots.

Lagrave-Martillac

Lagrave-Martillac is the second wine of Château Latour-Martillac. The red version was created in 1986, followed by the white in 1990. It uses parcel selections from the estate's younger vines and benefits from the same care as the first wine in its vinification.

Lacroix-Martillac

Lacroix-Martillac comes from the vines closest to the château and is also the result of parcel selections.

Château Langlet

Château Langlet has belonged to the Kressmann family since 1999. One of the region's oldest crus, it is located in the commune of Cabanac et Villagrains.