Bordeaux, Bottle Notes

New Releases from Chateau Tour Saint Christophe

The 20 hectare St. Emilion vineyard of Chateau Tour Saint Christophe is planted to 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The property was purchased by Peter Kwok in 2012. Kwok also owns Bellefont-Belcier and Haut-Brisson.

The winery sent me samples of their most recent releases. Both wines were decanted for 90 minutes.

2016 Chateau Tour Saint Christophe – Purple in color. 15% ABV. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Sensational nose of black fruits, spiced plums, licorice and smoke. Full bodied with terrific acidity. Exceptional balance. Rich and mouth coating with layers upon layers of glorious fruit. Blackberry, cassis liqueur, currants and truffles on the palate. The finish is long and seamless with silky tannins. The wine is fantastic now and will age well for the decade to come. My rating: 95 points.

2017 Chateau Tour Saint Christophe – Dark crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Sensational nose of black fruits, anise and flowers. Medium body with ample acidity. Somewhat closed on the palate. Flavors of currants, plums, cocoa and minerals. Exceptional length on the finish with gritty tannins. A wine that over achieves for the price in an average vintage. Best over the next 5-7 years. My rating: 92 points.

I clearly favored the 2016 but both wines are a buy at less than $40 in a market where similar Bordeaux go for upwards of $75. I have the ’17 in my cellar but will be on the lookout for the ’16.

I recently wrote New Thoughts on Buying Young Bordeaux and Tour Saint Christophe will be on my radar for years to come.

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3 thoughts on “New Releases from Chateau Tour Saint Christophe

  1. Tom, if you run into the 2016 Chateau Montlandrie, Cotes de Castillon you may want to try a taste. It’s a nice bottle @$25, perfectly balanced, with an ethereal nose of flowers & cassis and a polished palate of good black fruit. Very fresh & drinking beautifully with a promising future, IMO.

  2. Thank you Tom ! You and all wine lovers are welcome to visit us in St Emilion at Tour Saint Christophe or Bellefont Belcier ! Cheers, Jean-Christophe MEYROU (GM)

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