An Interview with Bernard Retornaz, President, Louis LAtour
By Lisa Gmur, CSW
OPERATION STORYTELLER
Louis Latour has over two centuries of Burgundian history; two hundred and twenty-five years to be exact. The Latour family have been growing grapes in the region since the 17th century, slowly growing their property to more than 125 acres in prime Burgundy country. Louis Latour owns 25 acres of Corton-Charlemagne, one of the most famous white wines of Burgundy. They also own parts of many other vineyards including Corton Clos del Vigne, Corton Les Perriéres, Chambertin and Romanée-Saint Vivant. The winery was built in 1854 and was the first purpose-built winery in France. Its cellars are embedded in the rock of Corton.
Last year, Domaine Louis Latour lost its rock; it’s leader; Louis-Fabrice Latour. Louis-Fabrice was the seventh Latour and eleventh generation to run the company. His death at just 58 was tragic and the entire wine world still mourns this loss.
The winery remains in the Latour name. His daughter Eléonore is slated to take over once she finishes her studies. Until then, Louis- Fabrice’s brother Florent is at the helm and finding the wine business rather interesting. A pretty major shift from his business career. Florent has an MBA from Harvard and has founded several large technology companies.
We talked with Bernard Retornaz, President of Louis Latour about the family, the winery and his excitement about finally having a woman run one of the most renowned Burgundy wine houses.
Pictured Left: Louis Latour, President, Bernard Retornaz
THE INTERVIEW
Bernard Retornaz
Yes. I just came back. We have a new owner. Louis- Fabrice’s brother Florent.
He lives in Washington DC and is commuting. He is half in Beaune and half in DC as we wait for Eléonore to come and join us this summer.
Florent will stay for as long as she needs him, he is really enjoying the wine business. I spent a lot of time with him when I was there.
The Mark Wine Group
It was such devastating news to hear of Louis-Fabrice’s death. Mark spoke so beautifully about him.
Bernard Retornaz
It was such a huge loss. Louis-Fabrice was a great boss. He did a lot for the region and the company. We used to talk every day.
Bernard Retornaz
I started at Louis Latour two years after Louis-Fabrice did. He was like a brother to me. Family.
Now with Eléonore, the company will be run by the 12th generation of Latour. It’s very important that we stay run by a Latour.
It’s refreshing and good for all the employees that there is continuity in running the company. Florent is a very bright guy. Very quick.
Bernard Retornaz
Yes. At the beginning he did not want to take over but after a few weeks, months, he decided he was passionate about it and is really enjoying it.
It will be good for Eléonore to have him there while she learns the business. They are very close. It’s really good. The continuity, the stability is good for everyone.
Bernard Retornaz
Yes. We have finally arrived at a new time for change with Eléonore. You know, the tradition has always been that the oldest son takes over but we have thankfully arrived at a new time.
Eléonore is Louis-Fabrice’s oldest child. She is 26 and finishing school in Paris this month. She will join us over the summer. I have known her a long time.
I have been with Louis Latour for 31 years. She reminds me a lot of her father. She is very outgoing. Very approachable. Always smiling. She has a great sense of humor. It’s going to be like having a copy of her father.
I am so glad a lady is going to be in charge. And in Burgundy! Burgundy is still very "macho", so this is a very exciting thing; to have a large Burgundy house like Latour run by a lady.
“Louis Latour’s exceptional domaine covers 50 hectares and includes the largest collection of Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy. A négociant-éleveur with soul, the house is still independent and managed by the founding family.”
CONTINUED
Bernard Retornaz
Yes, Victor has four more years of school. When he finishes, he will join us too. We might need two Latours running things. Maybe one doing administration and one managing the rest. It will be good to have two. The company is so big now. It is no longer the days when just one Latour runs things.
The Mark Wine Group
I love that! So, will Eléonore immediately take over this summer or is there a transition period?
Bernard Retornaz
One of the things that sets Louis Latour apart from other Burgundy houses is something of tradition. Since the beginning, Latour has been run by the same family for 225 years and always one generation.
What is really interesting is that before the son joined the father in the company, he would have to spend two to three years, working in the real world. Working outside the industry. Louis-Fabrice worked for a commercial bank in Paris for two years before joining his father. His father worked in a research center for a few years before joining his father at the company.
The company prides itself on this; working outside the business which gives you a different idea and perspective of what the real world is about. Eléonore has been practicing law, her “real world” experience, for more than a year as part of her law studies and so she will come aboard full time September 1st.
Florent will continue to run Maison Latour until he feels that Eléonore is ready to take over.
The Mark Wine Group
What a beautiful tradition. This is all so exciting, not just for Latour but for Beaune and all of Burgundy. Let’s talk wine and vineyards!
Bernard Retornaz
We are one of the largest owners of premier cru in Burgundy. We were always growers, even before we were a winery.
Our success as a winery meant we needed more wine, so we were the first one to tie contracts with growers. We wanted to have control, and this set us apart.
Now everyone does that, but we have been able to maintain, promote and preserve our style. Before Louis-Fabrice we were known to be on the lighter side but that changed when he took over.
The Mark Wine Group
Well, I totally love the style. Especially the Mâcon-Lugny. I love the Mâcon-Village too, but the Mâcon-Lugny is so good. And such a perfect wine by the glass.
Bernard Retornaz
We also love the Mâcon’s and we are really pushing those wines for the same reason. Mark is doing a very good job with the Lugny. A Chardonnay from Burgundy versus California is very fresh, not oaky, with great balance, and acidity. It’s a very easy drinking wine and matches so many types of food.
The Lugny and then of course the Pouilly Fuissé are aclassic that everyone should have. You really cannot compare Chardonnay from Burgundy with Chardonnay from California. The weather, the soil is very different. I buy and drink California wine on a regular basis as I live here in California.
We make our own barrels at Maison Latour and we send them to California wineries. It’s always interesting to compare wines from Latour with the California wines that use our barrels. They are way different. More powerful. Less acidity.
I drink wine with food but you know in America they drink wine as an aperitif so its different. With food you need a lot of acidity!
Bernard Retornaz
The Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir is very good. Pinot Noir is a very elegant wine designed to drink with food. It is not a big monster wine.
It shows very good against Pinot Noir from the new world. It is easier to make a good chardonnay year after year, but Pinot Noir is much harder to make as there is more variation year to year.
Again, it’s about the acidity, the soil and the weather.
MAISON LATOUR
Mâcon-Lugny “Les Genievres”
- 90 James Suckling, v2020
- 91 James Suckling, v2019
Pinot Noir Bourgogne
- 90, Wine.com Critical Acclaim
CONTINUED
Bernard Retornaz
2019 and 2020 were great years. Unfortunately, with the 2021 vintage, we had a lot of frost. It is a very small vintage. It needed a lot more work.
We had a very bad frost on April 25th in 2021 which meant an extremely small crop. It’s a very expensive vintage. It takes the same amount of money to take care of a bad vintage as a good vintage. Taking care of the vines is the same. Everything is the same. The costs are the same.
This is challenging to keep our by-the-glass placements, but we are doing everything we can to do that. The U.S. market is the largest market for Louis Latour and it accounts for 25% of our business revenue.
Bernard Retornaz
It will be impossible to keep the prices because there is so little inventory of ’21 but we are working hard to do special programming to keep all the wines by-the-glass. If the ’23 vintage is good like we expect, we will be able to gain back some business. The stronger dollar helps too.
The Mark Wine Group
Obviously weather was a big issue with the ’21 vintage. Is climate change and global warming affecting your big picture?
Bernard Retornaz
Yes. The weather has been much more unpredictable for the past 15 years. Unstable weather is never good. There are these bursts of heat and cold. There is no question that global warming has had an effect on us. The slightly warmer years are making the wines better.
Of course when it is really hot like in 2003, it is not good. You know here in Burgundy we cannot irrigate so it is always dry farming and it can be challenging especially in years with drought.
Bernard Retornaz
Hah! Yes, we do. We will do anything to have it rain. Fortunately, our roots are very, very deep and they can always get water even when it is drier than normal. The most important thing every year is to avoid a late frost and we have accomplished that this year.
The Mark Wine Group
That is fantastic news! We love selling your wines and we will do everything we can to keep the Latour name out there and to keep all of the by-the-glass placements. We are very excited for the upcoming good vintages of 2022 and 2023. Thank you so much for this interview!
Louis-Fabrice Latour
1964 – 2022