Château Latour Martillac Blanc 1982

Histoire du domaine

The estate takes its name from a tower built in the 12th century, a remnant of a small fort attributed to Montesquieu’s ancestors. Viticulture is documented as the main activity there in the first half of the 19th century, notably through plans dated 1847 and 1860. In 1871, the Bordeaux wine merchant Edouard Kressmann took an interest in the estate, then known as Latour, and began marketing its wines. In 1884, he advised planting a plot of white grape varieties, which survives today under the name Grapecap. His eldest son, Alfred Kressmann, acquired the estate in 1930 and renamed it Château Latour-Martillac to avoid any confusion with Château Latour in Pauillac. He then undertook a restructuring of the vineyard and expanded the Cabernet Sauvignon plantings. Jean Kressmann inherited the estate in 1954, continued its expansion and brought the vineyard to nearly 30 hectares by the early 1970s. The château was classified amongst the Graves crus classés in 1953 for its red and white wines, and subsequently came under the Pessac-Léognan appellation, created in 1987, to the establishment of which Jean Kressmann contributed. Loïc Kressmann joined the estate in 1975 and Tristan Kressmann in 1986; they subsequently took charge of its management and development. Since 2019, Edouard Kressmann, Loïc’s son, has been technical director, overseeing the vineyard and the winemaking process. Valérie Vialard is the cellar master, assisted by Léa Viguier, the assistant cellar master.