Chateau Tour Saint Christophe Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2019

Varietal: 80% Merlot / 5% Cabernet Sauvignon/ 15% Cabernet Franc

Vintage: 2019 Colour: Red Style: Dry

Producer: Chateau Tour Saint Christophe

Description:

This superb, 20-hectare Saint Emilion Grand Cru property, not far from the renowned Valandraud estate, was purchased by Peter Kwok in 2012. An addition to his extensive portfolio on Bordeaux's Right Bank. He has since made the château fully organic and biodynamic – a clear indication of the team's meticulous approach every step of the process. What's more, they have the renowned Michel Rolland as consultant. Using largely, densely planted Merlot, supplemented by Cabernet Franc, and aged 40% in new oak and 40% in one year, for 18 months, this is a very fine claret. Tightly bound, with real intensity and finesse, with grippy, polished tannins. A top 2019 Right Bank release, that will reward cellaring for a decade or so. A fine dinner red.

Tasting Note:
Sensual bouquet of black cherries and cassis scents. Medium bodied with sweet and supple tannins, the new oak is neatly integrated. Good intensity, wonderful length and depth with a mouth-watering salinity. The great terroir is purely translated into the wine.

95-97 points Jeb Dunnuck

 From an estate that continues to fire on all cylinders, the 2019 Château Tour Saint Christophe reveals a saturated purple colour to go with a pretty, floral bouquet of black raspberries, mulberries, violets, graphite, and crushed stone. Fabulously balanced, medium to full-bodied, with good acidity as well as sweet tannins, it's a finesse oriented, elegant version of this cuvée that does everything right. This estate has backed off the power and ripeness over the past few vintages, and the wine is more elegant, balanced, and seamless. It's a better wine today.  (6/2020)

96 points James Suckling

 Beautiful, intense fruit, dark-earth and chocolate character on the nose. Full-bodied with great density and plush, fine tannins that give a fine-velvet texture. It’s extremely long, polished and sophisticated. Needs time to come together, but expressive and glorious. Fantastic relative value.  (12/2021)

95 points Vinous

 The 2019 Tour Saint Christophe builds on the promise it showed from barrel. This sample was actually tasted at my home, where I afforded it a two-hour decant. It revealed precocious yet controlled blackberry and blueberry fruit scents, with that violet component still intact. The tannins have not lost any of their grippiness or assertiveness. This is a Saint-Émilion that is in for the long haul. Great potential. (NM)  (2/2022)

92-94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 In 2012, Hong Kong-based Peter Kwok purchased this vineyard located in Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes. The average age of vines is 30 years old. The wine is aging in 40% new oak barrels, 40% one-year-old barrels and 20% two-year-old barrels. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with fruit from the Cassevert lieu-dit, and the wine has 14.3% alcohol at a pH of 3.6. Deep purple-black in colour, the 2019 Tour Saint-Christophe leaps from the glass with gregarious notes of fresh red and black cherries, mulberries and wild blueberries plus suggestions of eucalyptus, chocolate pie, cinnamon stick and clove oil with a waft of cedar chest. The full-bodied palate has seriously impressive freshness, featuring a firm, finely grained frame and loads of energetic black fruit layers, finishing long and spicy. (LPB) 92-94+  (6/2020)

92 points Decanter

 Pretty high austerity and salinity in this one, reflecting the higher percentage of Cabernet Franc and the full emphasis of limestone soils. Will bide its time, and should be a delicious glass of wine in five or six years - the blueberry, gunsmoke and grilled rosemary finish is extremely promising. (JA) 

Food Matches: Red Meat / Venison / Soft Cheese / Venison