Louis Latour 1997 Marsannay Rouge: Wine is a Remarkable Thing!

Wine is a remarkable thing. A bottle of wine can age, change dispositions, evolve, and grow intellectually, just like a person. I was recently reminded of this noteworthy characteristic of wine by a bottle of 1997 Maison Louis Latour Marsannay Rouge, originally purchased in 2001.

Maison Louis Latour has long been one of my favorite French wine producers. Most know for his fine, Chardonnay-based, white wines from Burgundy, Latour also produces one of my favorite red Burgundies, his "Vignes Franches" Premier Cru from Beaune.

It was because of my adoration for the Latour "Vignes Franches" that I decided to take the gamble and purchase a case of the ’97 Marsannay Rouge. Much less expensive than the Premier Cru (I think I paid $15 per bottle with the case discount), the Marsannay was also a relatively new wine for Maison Latour in 1997.

Marsannay is the small village located at the very northern end of Burgundy’s legendary Côte d’Or wine region. As is true throughout Burgundy, two grape varieties rule here: Chardonnay for whites, and the elusive, mystical Pinot Noir for reds. As one of Burgundy’s ‘outpost’ appellations (or regions), Marsannay (like its neighbor Fixin) is a good place to look for good value wines made in a traditional, rustic, European style.

Unfortunately, since I first opened my case of ’97 Latour Marsannay in 2001, each bottle of this wine had consistently disappointed me. Every year or so, usually on Thanksgiving, I would open a bottle to check the wine’s evolution. Each time, without fail, I would find the wine disappointing. My memories of those periodic tastings include descriptors like ‘sharply acidic’, ‘thin’, ‘hollow’, ‘overly metallic’, etc. Needless to say, the wine was not among my favorites.

Fast forward to August 17th, 2009 – I’m in my cellar, looking for a red wine to accompany dinner, when I notice the remaining three bottles of the Marsannay. As soon as I see them I think, ‘Oh, as bad as that wine was, and as beyond it’s prime as it is likely to be now, it will almost certainly be undrinkable…Well, I’ll need to do something with those bottles…let’s check’.

Imagine my surprise and amazement when I opened a bottle, and found that this wine had magically fallen into place after eight years in the cellar! Here are my tasting notes:

Maison Louis Latour 1997 Marsannay Rouge (well cellared since 2001):
Appearance: Magnificent clarity. A perfect, deep black/red burgundy color. The rim is still mostly clear, with a slight orange hue hinting at the age of the wine.
Nose: A very complex and distinctly Old-World, Pinot Noir aroma profile features notes of cherry kirsch, leather, minerals, black pepper, rose water, and humus. Although still present and well-defined, the fruit is clearly receding in this wine, indicating that it’s time for consumption is right now.
Palate: The palate shows excellent dryness, fine acidity (it’s finally fallen into place!), ample but soft tannins, and notes of cherry, strawberry, wildflowers, leather, and minerals.
Finish: The wine finishes long, very dry, and clean, with a distinct Burgundian earthiness.
Overall: The acidity of the wine has fallen into place, and the other components have gelled in harmony to create a classic example of a red Burgundy!
Score: 17.5/20 Grade: A-

Moral of the story? If you’re sitting on a wine from a good producer that seems to be underachieving - Give it time to blossom. You might be surprised. I sure was!

Santé!