Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Is Chateau Latour in Medoc only for buyers?

Is Chateau Latour in Medoc only for buyers?

Old May 30th, 2015, 08:07 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Is Chateau Latour in Medoc only for buyers?

We will be spending a few days in Bordeaux; one of them we are planning to drive up through the Medoc. We are interested in seeing Chateau Latour but have read comments that you must be accompanied by a wine guide and/or professional and are expected to purchase. What with the top tier of their three lines going for $11,000/case wholesale , perhaps we'd enjoy Chateau Margaux, and Mouton Rothschild's museum of paintings-to-labels more. We do have reservations at these. Can anyone tell me about their experience at Latour as simply a tourist who merely enjoys fine wines? Thanks, Francophiles.
aliced is offline  
Old May 30th, 2015, 08:51 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have not been to Latour but as a general rule, if you visit a producer and do not pay specifically for the visit, you should purchase something as a thank you for someone´s giving of his time. It is just a courtesy as much as anything else; producers do not make their living selling bottles one or two at a time.

This is one of the reasons that I suggest your engaging a professional guide. He will make your time spent much more interesting, get you better access to properties, and you´ll avoid any awkward moments in reference to purchasing bottles.
Sarastro is offline  
Old May 30th, 2015, 10:43 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,840
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why do you even want to go there if you don't want to buy wine?

I haven't been there but have read that you don't HAVE to buy a buyer, but that you must reserve well in advance, at least a month, and they give priority to those with professionals they know and buyers, of course. So I just think it would be difficult for you to get an appointment. IN fact, I'm not sure they actually sell individual bottles there anyway. There really isn't any reason for any wine company to give tours to tourists who aren't interested in buying.
Christina is online now  
Old May 30th, 2015, 01:25 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,416
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No, the tour isn't just for buyers or existing clients. Anyone can book a tour, by phone (they all speak English), fax or email, though availability is limited at certain times like August, harvest and trade fairs. So give them a few months' notice and they will come up with a date and time. Don't be late. It will be a private tour by an English-speaking guide, quite detailed and technical (so it helps if you have particular interest in their wines and wine-making). Tasting (degustation) is offered at the end, just a glass, but for many it's the highlight of the visit. No direct sales. You have to go to retail merchants. Chateau Lafite has details on how to book a tour (by email request) on their website. Chateau Latour has nothing, so presumably it's by invitation only. Mouton Rothschild can also be booked by email.
Alec is offline  
Old May 30th, 2015, 01:38 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 57,091
Received 5 Likes on 3 Posts
We spent a day driving up the Route des Vins a few weeks ago; we didn't really feel like tasting as we weren't going to be able to buy nor did we feel like trying wines at 11 am. [wimps, I know]. Also we were driving and we are too mean to spit.

If we had wanted to do a tour, the Maisons du Vin in both Margaux and Paulliac had information on which chateaux were open that day, the hours, the cost of a tour/tasting etc. Latour is rather outside our price-bracket so it wouldn't be for us but there were many more that would have been had we wanted to see them.

Later in our trip we did eventually end up doing a wine tasting at the very new Maison des Vins in Cadillac in the Entre deux Mers region; I think we ended up tasting a dozen wines and bought two. [we were walking].

As well as a most delightful girl who was doing the tasting with us [a wine industry student from Brittany] they had a smell test which consisted of a number of substances found in wine which you and to try to identify. It was a lot of fun and would amuse les infants while their parents tried the wines.
annhig is offline  
Old May 30th, 2015, 04:52 PM
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why do we want to go there? It is a 14th century chateau, probably the oldest in the country, where one of the four premier crus are made. "Give tours" -- who 'gives' tours? We are paying 45Euros per person at Chateau Margaux and I forget what we are to pay at Mouton Rothschild. It's not like we're looking to spend a few hours at the mercy of the winemaker. My question was specifically: do you need to go with a producer or wine guide (not with a tour group from the city of Bordeaux)? I could not access any email 'contact' from their website nor did I find any reference to visits, that's why I am asking those who have been there. Thank you, all. Yes, in between our a.m. and p.m. tours in Medoc we will probably spend some time in Paulliac. We have done LOTS
aliced is offline  
Old May 30th, 2015, 05:14 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,629
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
aliced: Don't be offended by Christina's post (well, maybe a little ) She tends to shoot from the hip, usually prefaced by something like "I haven't been, but why would you want to"

I was going to post some basic info, but alec included what I knew and more.
janisj is online now  
Old May 31st, 2015, 01:56 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 57,091
Received 5 Likes on 3 Posts
aliced - I can't help you about Chateau Latour but I do have a very good suggestion for a restaurant in the area. The lovely girl in the Maison du Vin at Pauillac suggested that we have lunch at what she described as a very good auberge just outside the village, and when we eventually found it, it turned out to be a very swish but lovely restaurant in the middle of a renovated "village" behind Chateau Lynches-Bages.

https://nicollecroft.wordpress.com/2...s-of-bordeaux/

[it's about 3 paragraphs down; the website looks as if it might interest you too!]

We just had the planche de charcuterie but the food looked excellent and the menu of 2 courses was quite reasonably priced [?€15]?; there is a fabulous wine list too.

there were also more traditional restaurants down in Pauillac which surprised us by being almost like a sea-side resort.
annhig is offline  
Old May 31st, 2015, 02:45 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 25,493
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
My only advice on Latour is from a friend who got to visit it as part of a very upmarket (way above my pay grade) small visit with a local UK wine shipper. They had a good hour inside and were not expected to buy (then). This is some years ago and certainly another wealthy friend tried to get in recently by invitation and was politely declined.

Things may have changed
bilboburgler is offline  
Old May 31st, 2015, 01:42 PM
  #10  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you, annhig, for that recommendation; as usual, I am overscheduling-- with a 9:30 at Mouton and a 2:00 at Margaux, how are we to even consider Latour that day (and it would be our only day...). We intend to lunch around the Musee du Vin of Paulliac, and will check out the website. bilboburgler, Latour is lots of tiers above our pay grades too; if we have an hour to spare, we may go to front gates and photograph the historic dovecote.
aliced is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
stpalko
Europe
6
May 24th, 2017 11:05 PM
bilboburgler
Europe
6
Sep 24th, 2016 12:11 PM
maitaitom
Europe
16
Apr 7th, 2016 02:30 PM
JUESnyc
Europe
6
Jan 28th, 2016 08:06 PM
Emily_D
Europe
11
Jan 21st, 2015 07:16 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -