2019 Tour St Christophe
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Tasting notes
Summer pudding fruit and blueberry compote aromas. Flamboyant style of St Emilion, powerful and explosive on the palate with generous fruit concentration– black plum, blackberry and a touch of cassis, great breadth on the palate – expansive. Lifted violets aromas beautifully integrated with clove spice creates needed lift to balance the opulent black fruit character. Despite all the fruit there is a lovely backbone of acidity and mineral freshness. This is rich and mouthwatering.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
This is tight with finesse and focus. Minerally and salty with an ultra-fine palate and polished tannins. It goes on and on and on. Strength and finesse at the same time. 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc.
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 color, 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.
Dark red, purple in color, the nose pops with flowers, licorice, incense, herbs and dark red berries. On the palate, the wine is silky, fresh, sweet, full-bodied and concentrated. Yet, there is no heaviness. Everything is in proportion. Better balanced than 2018, this is another step-up in quality here. If you are not yet on the Tour Saint Christophe bandwagon, get on it before prices rise.