| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
From the same owner as Enclos Tourmaline, and the ex-winemaker at La Violette and Le Gay, comes Tour St Christophe: a St Emilion located between Troplong Mondot and Tertre Rôteboeuf. The 20 hectare vineyard is planted with 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Tour Saint Christophe has a fabulously spicy nose of cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and powdered cloves, giving way to a core of juicy black and red plums, fresh blueberries, and fragrant earth, plus a waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate is fruity and beautifully poised, offering soft, elegantly played tannins, and finishing with bags of persistent, bright, pure berry layers.
The 2020 Tour Saint Christophe opens in the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, raspberries and petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and pure palate that's rich and fleshy, with generously extracted tannins asserting themselves on the finish. It's a modern, crowd-pleasing wine from clay-rich soils opposite Troplong Mondot in the commune Saint Christophe des Bardes.
The 2020 Tour Saint Christophe has a more classically styled, well-defined bouquet, perhaps with Cabernet Franc imparting attractive bell pepper and meaty notes. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. It's fleshy, velvety and cohesive, with a persistent finish that lingers in the mouth. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2027 - 2052
Full-bodied and creamy with lots of spice and walnut character. Lovely softness and purity. Black fruit at the end. Very fine tannins. Well-integrated.
There is a high proportion of Cabernet Franc for this wine, because the Merlot was more impacted by the season conditions. Chalky tannins, really feel the sense of place, 40hl/h yield, 30% new oak. An excellent wine that has a touch of peat and spice, a ton or dason puree, raspberry coulis, fresh and zingy, and the mandarin peel, an edge of bitterness on the finish. Black chocolate, cocoa shavings.
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Almost jammy fruit but cool and minerally as well. Stays appetising on the palate backed by finely honed tannins. Saline note on the finish. Oak present but should integrate. (JL) 14.7%
Drink 2026 – 2035
The 2020 Tour Saint Christophe is powerful on the nose with intense black cherries, boysenberry and mint aromas - a nose that takes no prisoners! The palate is sweet and dense, but there are structure and sapidity here, a sense of underlying elegance that will surface with bottle age. This is definitely a Saint-Émilion for cellaring.
The 2020 Tour Saint Christophe was picked September 14–28, fermented without SO2 and matured in 40% new oak. My sample bottle was more reduced compared to its peers and required more aeration. Leaving it aside for 30–40 minutes, it unfolded to reveal a mélange of red and black fruit and hints of wild mint and boysenberry, all nicely focused, with floral top notes. The medium-bodied palate features sappy black fruit intermingling with orange peel and subtle marmalade notes. There is a core of sweet plummy fruit toward the finish, and a hint of brown sugar lingers on the aftertaste. This is a fine Saint-Émilion, but one where I hope to see a little more terroir expression on once in bottle. 2027 - 2045
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Tour Saint Christophe stampedes out of the glass with powerful scents of baked blackberries, stewed black plums and boysenberries, followed by suggestions of cedar chest, mocha, tar and fertile loam, with lifted wafts of licorice and cardamom. The full-bodied palate is rich and densely packed with juicy black fruits, supported by velvety tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long and opulent. Drink 2024-2044.
In 2012, Hong Kong-based Peter Kwok purchased this vineyard located in Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes. The blend this year is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aging in French oak barriques, 40% new. It has an alcohol of 14.7% and a pH of 3.6.
Powerful blue and black fruits, exuberant with layers of cocoa bean, espresso, smoked almond and mocha. Touch of bitterness on finish, turns into oyser shell freshness as it relaxes. Clay limestone vineyard located in St Christophe de Bardes, 20% vinified in barrel, the rest on cement tanks, 40% new oak, harvest September 14 to 28.
Clean and precisely-spliced black fruits, austerity in the tannins and a mocha, grilled coffee bean edging through the finish. Good quality and well balanced, intense to the point of slightly bitter on the final moments.
Drinking Window 2025 - 2040
The 2020 was harvested between 14th-28th September and comprises 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The abv is 14.7%. It will be aged in 40% new oak, 40% second-fill oak, and 20% third-fill oak. 85000 bottles will be produced this year.
