2020 Château Tour Saint-Christophe
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Tasting notes
There is lovely restraint to Tour Saint-Christophe this year, only furthering this wine’s already huge appeal, considering the overall quality and moderate price point. High-quality oak provides a lovely toasted, peppery spice aroma on the nose that interplays beautifully with lifted, lavender tones. There is a lovely finesse to the blackcurrant and plum fruit on the palate. It is concentrated, juicy and succulent, but not at all over-ripe. The fruit has a pristine character matching the detailed tannins, making for a moreish finish. With impressive length and fantastic balance, this is a top-value buy – and has never been better. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
Critic scores
James Suckling
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Dark purplish crimson. Raisiny dark fruit. Oaky nose. Oaky and a bit tough on the palate, the acid and tannins fighting each other but it’s the ripeness of fruit that bothers me a bit. (JH)
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.
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.
About the producer
The investment Château Tour Saint-Christophe has been significant and seen wine quality dramatically improve over the last few years, while also tripling the size of the estate.