Chateau Tour Saint Christophe Saint Emilion 2018

This tiny, picturesque vineyard on the east side of Saint-Émilion has turned out another brilliant wine with their 2018 Château Tour Saint Christophe. The vineyard covers 6.5 hectares of terraced slopes sitting just across from Château Barde-Haut and consists of old vine Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The 2018 is a tentative blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, harvested from September 25 through October 15, that hit 14.6% alcohol and is aging in 40% new French oak, with the balance in second- and third-fill barrels. Its deep purple color is followed by a medium to full-bodied, ripe, brilliantly concentrated Saint-Émilion that has terrific purity of fruit, classic minerality and graphite characteristics, good acidity, and building tannins. In short, it's a classic wine from this cooler terroir that's going to benefit from short-term cellaring and cruise for two decades. It well worth a multiple case purchase! 93-95+

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 and 20% two-year-old barrels and is expected to run 18 months. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with fruit from the Cassevert lieu-dit, and the wine has 14.6% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, the 2018 Tour Saint-Christophe bursts out of the glass with wonderfully pure blackberry, blueberry and boysenberry scents with an undercurrent of plum preserves, star anise and cinnamon stick with wafts of charcuterie and dried herbs. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with vibrant, juicy black fruits with a ripe, rounded tannin texture and fantastic freshness, finishing savory. 92-94+

The 2018 Tour Saint Christophe has a delineated and focused, almost clinical bouquet with pretty red cherry and blueberry fruit intermixed with peony and iris flower. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, good acidity and poise with really quite superb tension and energy on the finish. This could have been pushed in the winery - it's not - it's succinctly judged and really utterly delicious. So silky that it will probably drink early, but I would advise cellaring for five years if possible. 92-94