Latour to expand organic project

Bordeaux first growth Château Latour will step up its organic project in 2010.

Latour started converting to organic viticulture in 2008 and this year increased organic practises to 10% of the Pauillac winery’s 78 hectare vineyard.

Penelope Godefroy, an agronomist in charge of vineyards at the estate, told decanter.com there are plans to extend this further in 2010.

‘We have concentrated the areas of organic viticulture around the outside walls of L’Enclos (the 47ha walled vineyard that grows grapes destined for its first wine), and are very happy with the results so far,’ she added.

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Director of Latour, Frederic Engerer said, ‘We still have a lot to learn and to experiment, and each estate moves at its own pace with its own beliefs and its own knowledge of its vineyards.

‘There are still risks to lose an entire crop and this should not be forgotten, but it is a mindset, a responsible citizen’s attitude, a great challenge and a complete organisational change in the way we follow our vineyards.’

Godefroy oversees organic viticulture at Domaine d’Eugénie in Burgundy’s Vosne-Romanée while Engerer also runs Fort Bonea, an organic estate in the Rhône Valley.

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Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux