CONTENTS A FAMILY HISTORY 3 A UNIQUE LABEL 5 THE PROPERTY AND THE CHATEAU 6 THE VINEYARD AND THE WINES 8 THE TEAM 10 PRATICAL INFORMATION 12

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2 CONTENTS A FAMILY HISTORY 3 A UNIQUE LABEL 5 THE PROPERTY AND THE CHATEAU 6 THE VINEYARD AND THE WINES 8 THE TEAM 10 PRATICAL INFORMATION 12 Château LaTour-Martillac 2

3 A FAMILY HISTORY The KRESSMAN family owes the success of its Bordeaux roots to one man, Edouard, the history of a man passionate about Bordeaux wine. The 16th of December 1837, born in Stettin, capital of Pomerania Prussia, Edouard Wilhelm Ferdinand Kressmann. In 1856, he began his professional career in a coffee business in Stettin, where he immediately showed an aptitude for tasting. In November 1858, at only 21 years old, his parents sent him to Bordeaux for health reasons. The young Edouard developed a passion for wine and quickly integrated himself into a wellknown Negociant business of the time on the Quay Bacalan. He was able to apply his tasting skills and he soon built up a real expertise in winemaking and wine selling. He was interested in the secrets of the Bordeaux climate, in vine diseases, in winemaking and in blending wine. His tasting skills and his memory also gained him the admiration of his friends. After only 10 years of experience in the wine trade, Edouard launched out on his own, founding a Negociant business in 1871, on rue Vauban: «Edouard Kressmann & C o». Château LaTour-Martillac 3

4 Château La-Tour situated in Martillac, promptly attracted his attention. Edouard advised the owner at the time on the planting of certain white grape varieties. A magnificent parcel, called Grattecap, dating from 1884 and containing the entire collection of these same varieties is still there at the property today. This estate provided Edouard Kressmann with invaluable benefits: both red and white wines of extreme nobility and an exceptional terroir both for its exposure and the quality of its soils. It was in 1930 that Alfred, the eldest son of Edouard, bought the property and instantly changed the name to «LaTour-Martillac». Jean, the second son of Alfred s five children, became the property manager in 1940 on behalf of his father, then inherited it in 1955, a period in which winegrowing meant a life of hard work without much financial gain. The fourth generation of Kressmann became involved in the property from 1979, with the arrival of Loïc as Technical Director, then Tristan in 1986 to lead the sales operations. Today, Tristan and Loïc follow the family tradition of giving their all in the pursuit of quality, together with their dynamic team and with the help of the best wine consultants. Château LaTour-Martillac 4

5 A UNIQUE LABEL It was in 1934 when Jean, a multi-talented artist (writer, designer, musician) and Alfred designed the label «gold and sand stripes» so original and still so modern. This design was inspired by the architectural «Art deco» movement which was at its height in the period between the two wars. It was concerned with a return to rigorous classical artistic standards. The basic vocabulary of «Art deco» can be summed up in three words: order, colour and geometry. The «Art deco» style was one of the first to have worldwide exposure, first reaching France, then Belgium, Portugal, Spain, North Africa, and then the Anglo-Saxon countries. Had Jean and Alfred already anticipated the globalisation of wine, such as we know it today? This new label was used for the first time for the 1929 vintage, to illustrate - the only one amongst their Bordeaux peers - the latest and formal Coronation Dinner of the very eclectic WINE & SPIRIT BENEVOLENT SOCIETY of London. This dinner, uniting more than 700 guests was organised as part of the festivities linked to the coronation of His Majesty George VI of England, in Château LaTour-Martillac 5

6 THE PROPERTY AND THE CHATEAU The Château LaTour-Martillac gets its name from the tower dating from the XII th century erected by the ancestors of the famous philosopher and winemaker Montesquieu in the main courtyard. It was built as a last remnant during one of the vintages much-vaunted by the author of «The Spirit of Laws». Built in the time of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who married first the King of France Louis VI and then the future King of England Henry Plantagenet, the tower was part of a fort built to monitor the route to Toulouse, along the Garonne. The wine growing history of the property goes back to the first half of the XIX th century. Maps dating from 1847 and 1860 confirm that vine growing was already the principal activity of this property at this time. The end of the XIX th century was for the Graves region, as for the property, a particularly difficult time with plagues such as oidium, mildew, phylloxera, and international conflicts with critical consequences on exports. The wine renaissance in the Graves dates from the beginning of the XX th century at the time of the «Belle Epoque». The Château LaTour-Martillac has established its reputation over the decades, becoming one of the references of Grave wine in the second half of the XX th century. The Graves wines were classified in 1953, by a jury of professionals set up by the Institut National des Appellations d Origine (INAO). This classification was long demanded by the Syndicat Viticole des Graves, as wines which had long been overlooked with the exception of Château Haut-Brion classified in It was endorsed by the Minister of Agriculture in August 1953 and revised in 1959, without changing the principal. Sixteen estates were selected for this classification, either for their red wines, or for their white wines. The Château LaTour-Martillac is one of only 6 estates to be classified for both its red and white wines. Château LaTour-Martillac 6

7 The last key date in the history of the property goes back to It was in this year that the Pessac-Léognan Appellation was created, with the goal of protecting the land, whether planted or not, faced with the expansion of urban development in the south of Bordeaux. Its creation relied in part on the work of the «Syndicat des Graves de Bordeaux», founded in 1904, who had clearly defined the historical boundaries of the vineyards and on another part, on the structures of the «Syndicat Viticole des Hautes Graves de Bordeaux», founded in 1964, whose mission it was to create a communal appellation in the Graves region of Bordeaux. The appellation Pessac-Léognan today groups together 74 châteaux spread across 10 communes, all situated in the north of the Graves region. This area represents nearly a third of the Graves region and the volumes produced. Its production significantly exceeds that of other communal appellations like Margaux and Pauillac and it produces on average hl per year (80% red wine to 20% white wine), the equivalent of nearly 10 million bottles. Château LaTour-Martillac 7

8 THE VINEYARD AND THE WINES The vineyard of Château LaTour-Martillac is ideally situated between two veritable temperature controllers. To the west, the forest protects against the wind and the moisture of the Atlantic Ocean situated 40 kms away as the crow flies. To the east, the Garonne, one of great rivers of France, reduces the risk of frosts. Total Surface area: Soil Type: Grape Varieties: 50 ha (Red: 40 ha / White: 10 ha) Pyrenean Gravel Red: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit-Verdot White: 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon Average age of the Vines: Red: 25 years old White: 35 years old Vine Density: Training System: Harvesting: Ageing: from to vines/ha Double Guyot Manual Red: 14 to 18 months White: 15 months on the lees Barrels: 30 to 40% New Oak every year Red and White Wines are produced: The Château LaTour-Martillac, Grand Cru Classé de Graves, appellation Pessac-Léognan. The first wine is produced from the oldest vines on the property. The Lagrave-Martillac, Grand Vin de Graves, appellation Pessac-Léognan. Second wine of Château LaTour-Martillac. Lagrave-Martillac is made from the young vines of the property. It is produced using the same methods of winemaking and ageing as for the first wine. The Pessac-Léognan by LaTour-Martillac, Grand Vin de Graves, appellation Pessac- Léognan. This wine was specially created for the export market from carefully selected parcels of young vines at Château LaTour-Martillac. Château LaTour-Martillac 8

9 Average Production: Red White Château Latour-Martillac bottles bottles Lagrave-Martillac bottles bottles Pessac-Léognan by LaTour-Martillac bottles - Total bottles bottles Château LaTour-Martillac 9

10 THE TEAM TRISTAN KRESSMANN After his studies in Bordeaux, at the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce then at the University of Economic Sciences, Tristan joined the Negociant business CVBG. Originally recruited for his skills in Management and IT, there then followed a move towards the Sales area. In September 1986, his father, Jean Kressmann, asked him to join his brother Loïc at the estate, to support him in the vineyard management. As a consequence, he has worked non-stop to maintain and enhance the image of the property and its wines all over the world. Tristan also invests time as President of the Crus Classés de Graves, President of the Council of Vins de Graves, Vice-president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux en Charge de la Région Graves et Sauternes, Vice-president of the Syndicat Viticole de Pessac-Léognan, member of the Académie des Vins de Bordeaux and of the Commanderie du Bontemps. LOÏC KRESSMANN Ever since his childhood spent in Martillac, Loïc has always been passionate about nature. After his agricultural studies, in the faculty of oenology, at the University of Bordeaux and in Paris, he finished his practical training at Château LaTour-Martillac, where he was Vineyard Manager from 1980, then Technical Director. Still passionate to this day about his job, the vines and wine making, his priority concern is in producing exceptional wines. His high quality standards are applied just as equally in the vineyard as they are in the cellar, anticipating the best quality grapes whilst striving to preserve the environment. Like his brother Tristan, he is also involved with different official bodies: Crus classés de Graves, Union des Grands crus de Bordeaux, The Association des Cépages de Blancs du bordelais (white Bordeaux grape varieties) and in particular in the technical commission of the Syndicat viticole de Pessac-Léognan. Château LaTour-Martillac 10

11 VALÉRIE VIALARD Originally from Léognan, Valérie obtained her National Diploma in Oenology at the University of Bordeaux in After one year s experience as consultant winemaker alongside Christophe Ollivier, an associate of Denis Dubourdieu, and as winemaker in a Cru Classé Property in the Graves, Valérie joined the team at Château LaTour-Martillac in She was the first women winemaker in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. DENIS WENDLING A native of Martillac, Denis arrived at Château LaTour-Martillac in 1981 when he was 17 years old. After working for 3 years in the vineyard, he decided to further his education in viticulture at Bordeaux University. At the end of this training, he returned to Château LaTour-Martillac and became the Vineyard Manager. Today, after more than 33 vintages, Denis has made the environment one of his priorities, whilst maintaining his passion for the soil, a great quality vineyard and a job well done. Château LaTour-Martillac 11

12 PRATICAL INFORMATION SAS Vignobles Jean Kressmann 8 Chemin La Tour, Martillac, France Telephone: +33 (0) / Fax: +33 (0) chateau@latourmartillac.com GPS: N W Château LaTour-Martillac 12