CHÂTEAU LA TOUR BLANCHE

Sauternes Premier Cru 1855 Uniquely among wine estates, Château La Tour Blanche is the property of the French state, having been gifted to the nation by the philanthropist Daniel "Osiris" Iffla on his death in 1907. An agricultural college was duly built in 1911 and functions to this day. M. Iffla's generosity is commemorated by the words "Donation Osiris" that appear on every label. The name derives from an 18th Century owner - Jean Saint-Marc du Latourblanche who was Treasurer Géneral to Louis XIV. Château La Tour Blanche is often quoted as the birthplace of modern Sauternes. It is said that the German owner in the mid-19th Century, Frederic Focke, brought knowledge about noble rot from his native Rhine valley to his vineyards overlooking the River Ciron. Quite how true the story is is in some doubt - as a naturally occuring phenomenon in the area, it is unlikely that Sauternes vignerons were unaware of botrytis cinerea and there is eveidence that its benefits in sweet wine making were known before Herr Focke's time, at Château d'Yquem at least. He may well have brought a deeper understanding of the subject with him as, under his ownership, Château La Tour Blanche was ranked second only to Château d'Yquem in the 1855 classification. There are 65ha of vineyard, planted with 83% Semillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle. Wines are fermented in oak and aged for 18 months in new wood. La Tour Blanche's reputation has slipped a little since 1855 - it would no longer be able to boast of being second only to Yquem, but one should charitably put that down, at least in part, to the considerable rise in profile and quality of its neighbours and competitors. Château La Tour Blanche is still one of the more reliable producers, especially in the last couple of decades.