Chateau Tour Saint Christophe 2015
- Vintage
- 2015
- Country
- France
- Region
- Bordeaux,St Emilion
- Size
- 750ml
- Rating
- JS96, WE93, WA92+
- Grape
- Merlot,Cabernet Sauvignon
A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, matured for 18 months in oak, 40% new, the 2015 Tour Saint Christophe is deep garnet-purple in color with notes of wild blueberries, plum preserves and fruitcake plus touches of dried flowers and underbrush. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is packed with ripe blue and black fruits, supported by a solid foundation of plush, velvety tannins and finishes with wonderful length. Drink:2018~2033 - WA92+
Château Tour Saint Christophe 2015 has a deep red color nearly approaching the black. The first notes show minerality, sitting on very ripe red fruit. Then, spicy wood notes somewhat reminiscent of a cigar box / which are not unlike the nose of a box cigar. After airing the spicy part grows to almost camphorated notes. The fruit focuses on a black fruit jam. In the mouth, the attack is on the fruit with an evolution on roundness and the chalky side, typical of our terroir. Endowed with a nice balance and an impressive aromatic delicacy, the freshness and tension are there. The mid-palate remembers the notes of the cigar box. The saline finish characteristic for Tour Saint Christophe, explodes on the fruit. - Winemaker's Notes
Château Tour Saint Christophe is a wine estate in the commune of Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes in the Saint-Émilion region of northeast Bordeaux. Named a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé in the 2022 classification of the region, it is located on the east side of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Production is focused on red blends of Merlot with Cabernet Franc; a little white wine is also made from Sauvignon Blanc.
The property has been owned – and reinvigorated – since 2012 by the Vignobles K Group – the Bordeaux-based winemaking enterprise of Hong-Kong based billionaire Peter Kwok. Other estates in the stable include Château Bellefont-Belcier in Saint-Émilion and Château La Patache in Pomerol.
Tour Saint Christophe produces approximately 100,000 bottles per year as is located roughly three kilometers (two miles) east of Saint-Émilion town and is surrounded by top growths and grand cru classés. Its immediate neighbors are Château Troplong Mondot and Château Barde-Haut. There are also separate parcels next to Château Laroque and Château L'If.
The landscaping of the property is a unique feature in the Saint-Émilion region. The vineyard is partly planted on narrow terraces, where the vineyard is tended in tight five-row groups. Soils are clay-limestone: red clay on the surface, then the limestone typical of the Saint-Émilion Plateau, along with some blue clay.
The vineyard provides daily tours to visitors, and has guests rooms and a cellar door shop.
Wines and winemaking
Currently, 80 percent of the Château Tour Saint Christophe vineyards are planted with Merlot and 20 percent with Cabernet Franc. However, the final composition of each vintage depends on harvest yield, fruit character and blending decisions.
Around 75 percent of the harvest is vinified in concrete tanks, with 25 percent fermented in French oak barrels. The wines are aged for 18 months in barrel, with one third new oak and the balance in one- or two-year-old oak. Since 2017, the property has also experimented in smaller volumes with vinification in amphorae.
There are two second labels: Les Terrasses de Saint Christophe and La Croix Saint Christophe. Both are Saint-Émilion Grand Cru and are produced with fruit from younger vines.
Since 2018, a white wine, Château Tour Saint Christophe Angela, has also been produced. This is named after the owner's wife, and is made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc. It is aged in a combination of clay amphorae and new French oak barrels. Currently only around 500 bottles are produced each year. - Information from Wine Searcher