Why is Louis Latour so bad?

I know this has been grazed in the body of previous threads, but I feel this is deserving of its own thread. As you probably know, anyone who drinks Burgundy isn’t going to rank Louis Latour anywhere near the top when it comes to quality producers. Time and time again, I’m just disappointed with what this producer has to offer at their various price points. I had some friends over this evening for what I thought was going to be a killer bottle of 1er Cru Chassagne-Montrachet. While the wine was decent and enjoyable, it was lacking in both character, focus, and charm. The fact that this wine is a 1er, to me, is a total joke. I hate to bash these guys, but at some point you just have to call an underwhelming/poor QPR for what it is. I paid $25 for that bottle. I feel sorry for anyone who paid more. I’m really curious as to others’ thoughts on this producer. I know I’m making a broad statement over a single bottle, but this is not the first time I’ve been burned by good ol’ Louis.

I don’t know that it’s as much about them being bad as it is understanding how they operate and where they are in the food chain and setting your expectations based off that, at least to some degree.

If, for example, this was a Domaine Blain-Gagnard CM Morgeot, I would have been surprised, but you would have paid three times as much also.

I think this is a value judgement without merit in many cases. The wines are very good with their properties they have controlled for some time. They have a huge production of wines for the supermarkets that dilute their brand somewhat like Jadot IMHO.

The best wines from them are great values and delicious when mature. Check out the 1990 Corton Charlemagne or the 1990 Corton Grancey. The higher end wines can be great values. RSV Quartre Journeaux. They are somewhat stylized in the early years of their life and that style might be less desirable to some.

Old versions hold up VERY well. This is a fine choice for long aging in many cases.

The only caveat is that whites are always a crapshoot with any Burgundy address with a very few exceptions.

Just my opinion.

Well I’m pretty sure things would be better if you weren’t drinking a 2011 red - whatever the producer…

Personally I find their reds ‘okay’ but their whites excellent…

Agree with Don.
1st: the whites are better than the reds, often outstanding (leaving premox aside - I never had a premoxed L.Latour, but others may have …).
The Grands Crus, especially Montrachet and Corton-charlemagne can be very fine. Nevertheless I would not call them “vibrant”, but they show an attractive fullness and fine intensity often missing in other producers wines …

Reds: it is well known that L.Latour practices kind of a pasteurazation process - heating up the must to app. 70° c for a few seconds - which might be one of the resaons that the reds often show quite flat and unexpressive in the youth.
However - I had many well aged examples (20, 25+ y) maybe due to the fact that L.Latour was almost the only available Burg producer in Austria 3+ decades ago), from simple Beaune to RSV and Chambertin, and they can be good, very good to really excellent, sometimes great! Yes, they do sometimes show a certain tiny lactic component which is not off-putting but quite typical …

So I´d say … opening a 2011 and complaining … is not the right attitude regarding L.Latour …

To each his own as the replies have shown.

I’m with you Mark. Latour = blech.

How does “decent and enjoyable” = “so bad”?

Well, the UK’s May Decanter has a piece naming Louis Latour among the 6 “Best” Burgundy negociants. I have a feeling the copy submitted probably claimed these were the 6 “biggest” or “most important” (in the French sense) negociants, but Decanter din’t think that would have the same pull as “best”. Just a hunch, as I don’t think Bill Nanson would have put LL among the “best” burgundy negociants.

RIP…that no one even started a thread on this says lots.

not much experience with the brand, as negociants have never really interested me; they take the personal element out of the mix vis a vis the artisanal makers.

But, the lesser whites used to be pretty appealing examples of good chardonnay, esp. on restauarant lists in the '80s and '90s in NY, where they were good values.

I know of Louis Fabrice. He is a very good friend of one of my regular Burg buddies. A nice man I have heard. Didn’t know his dad. Thanks for the heads up on the WSJ article. RIP.

I met him once, in Philadelphia, at a tasting in fall 1993. Patrice Rion had come to lead a tasting at a local school and go to the huge tasting at the Four Seasons a couple of days later. This guy was there with some wines. The only thing I remember about him is that he was supposedly a great fly fisherman, and seemed very formal , even to Patrice and Michele.

I agree with Don, Gerhard and Bill

We had a Louis Latour Le Montrachet in December (not sure of the vintage) along with the 1985 Jadot Le Montrachet and the 1996 Bouchard Montrachet. The L. Latour was a good wine that I would not pour down the drain, but it was outclassed by the other two by a mile.

And Scott…

TTT

Is Latour’s Chassagne Morgeot a red wine? I know there’s red Chassagne (and used to be a lot more), but the only Morgeot I’ve seen have been whites.

The few Latour whites I have had, including Corton Charlemagne, have been acceptable but nothing to write home about. For $25 I’d be fine if a wine turned out to be “enjoyable”, though.

Okay so this is probably the closest thread topic to post this in so here goes. Let’s start with the fact that I don’t own a lot of burgundy and I really don’t taste all that much burgundy so when I see emails for the likes of the 2012 Louis Latour Gevrey-Chambertin or 2012 Louis Latour Corton Grand Cru both of which received 94 points from Bruce Sanderson of the Wine Spectator it intrigues me as they can both be found for under $50 retail. The QPR seems there on paper but have any of you tasted either of these offerings and are they worthwhile purchases or … ? Do tell.

Well, abolutely possible, but the vintage would be of importance

On the other hand we had a Montrachet (and neighbours) tasting several years ago where the L.Latour 1989 Chevalier-M. “Demoiselles” was the winner over Jadot M. and Drouhin M. and many others … granted different vintages.

I don´t mean that the whites by L.Latour are the absolute peak of the Cotes … but they are also lower priced …

Well, if they scored 94 points they must excellent. Right?

Morgeot can be red and white …
actually I believe there´s more red wine than white coming from this climat … which is actually quite huge and a collection of several (20?) vineyards with own names which can be declared seperately - or released under “Morgeot” …

Actually the 2012 Gevrey-Chambertin was pretty good for my tastes. I thought it was a great value at the 39 dollars paid.

Beautiful ruby color. Reticent nose. On palate flavors of black cherry, earth, and licorice. Viscous mouth feel. Long finish. Fairly tannic at the back end. This has some upside. Wait a few years