The Story

This small domaine of some 15 hectares is operated by the 7th generation of growers, brothers Sylvan and Francois Latour, in Auxey-Duresses. Vineyard work is done with precise practices befitting a modern, world class, winery. The vineyards are sustainably farmed. Grapes are hand harvested and vineyard sorted, then re-sorted in the winery on a sorting table. White wines are barrel fermented, as is the secondary fermentation in the reds.

Auxey-Duresses is a commune in the Côte de Beaune. The region and its appellation are suitable for both red and white wine, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay respectively, with red wine being the more prolific; some two-thirds of total production. Although there are no Grand Cru vineyards in Auxey-Duresses, the region received AOC status in 1970. Wines from the region have historically been classified as AOC Côte de Beaune-Villages. Today there are both village and Premier Cru wines. The region consists of some 135 hectares of vineyards.

Auxey-Duresses has nine Premier Cru Climats. Domaine Henri Latour produces one Premier Cru from La Chapelle. La Chapelle is comprised of sections from sub-climats Les Bréterins and Reugne. Wines can be classified by either of those two designations, or be classified as La Chapelle. La Chapelle is small, some 1.3 hectares, .2 hectares comes from Les Bréterins, and just about 1 hectare from Reugne. Both Les Bréterins and Reugne are independently larger than La Chapelle. Imagine a venn diagram with the common denominator circle smaller than the two comparing circles. The vineyards are located to the north and northeast of the village of Auxey-Duresses, up the slopes of the Montagne de Bourdon, facing south and southeast.