| 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.
A very good year for Tour Saint Christophe, showing great depth and flavor despite high alcohol. Abundant dark minerals, fresh blackberries, black olives and a hint of cocoa powder. Pretty full-bodied and firm with crunchy, reactive tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Lots of density here. Drink from 2027.
The 2022 Tour Saint Christophe presents a well defined bouquet with brambly red berry fruit, light cedar and cigar box scents that unfold in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is silky-smooth on the entry and very well balanced, with nicely judged acidity and touches of spice box and white pepper on the finish. This Saint-Émilion should age well in bottle and showed even better on my second and third encounter. 2028 - 2045
This first vintage under the denomination of Grand Cru Classé, the 2022 Tour Saint Christophe is excellent, offering up aromas of spices, cassis, dark wild berries, orange peel and licorice mingled with delicate oaky notes. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, it's layered and textured and framed by powdery, velvety tannins enhanced by a racy, pure, fresh finish. It should gain raciness with some time in the cellar. 2027 - 2035
The 2022 Tour Saint Christophe, 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It bounds out of the glass with exuberant notions of baked blueberries, juicy black plums, and boysenberry preserves, followed by suggestions of star anise, crushed rocks, and cardamom. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is jam packed with black and blue fruit preserves, framed by velvety tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy.
Always a reliable, consistent name, classified in 2022, a good quality wine with plenty of enjoyable brambled berry fruits. High alcohol as so many of these later ripening clay-limestone terroirs in the vintage, but it holds it well. Harvest September 10 to October 1, 25% new oak. Located in the commune of St Christophe des Bardes, hence the name.
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Mid crimson. Gentle, floral nose. Nothing pushed to extreme and already fairly approachable. Neat, dry finish with some alcohol on the end. Useful, attractive wine for the short term. Light tannins. Fairly short.
Drink 2026– 2036
The 2022 Tour Saint Christophe has a nicely detailed, quite fresh and airy bouquet with ample red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and a harmonious, velvety finish. This is a lovely, delicious Saint-Émilion. 2028-2045
Exhibiting notions of dark berries, blackberries and licorice, the 2022 Tour Saint Christophe is medium to full-bodied and has an enveloping texture with a fleshy core of fruit and powdery tannins leading to a long, rather concentrated finish. This blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from vines planted on clay-limestone soil is a real success.
Iodine, crushed stone, salt, oyster shell, ink pot. Fascinating. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with a firm framing of fruit, with fine tannins and electric acidity. Exceptional. pH of 3.48 with just under 15% alcohol. Still thinking about this.
Inky damson, beautiful texture and glass staining colour. Smoky reduction on the nose (they do a late malolactic because it begins naturally, so this is not unusual). It clears to reveal intense dark berry fruit, oyster-shell salinity, has tension, depth and character, a little tight at this point, but this is going to age extremely well. 39hl/h , first vintage Grand Cru Classé on the labe, 25% new oak. Emmanuelle Fulchi d'Aligny techincal director, moving over from Château Angélus, and this is the first full vintage under her direction (just did the blend of 2021).
