2022, or the year of consecration.
From the work in the vineyard to the harvest, including aging and bottling, the accession of the château to the rank of Grand Cru Classé is in no way a surprise but rather a great reward for the dedication of the estate's teams. prove themselves throughout the year in order to produce an exceptional vintage.
A unique property
Located in the town of Saint Christophe des Bardes, a town to the east of Saint-Emilion, the château has one of the most unique vineyards. Indeed, the 20ha of vines are planted on narrow terraces facing South/South-West. A particularity that makes the Château Tour Saint Christophe vineyard unique.
The château has been owned by Peter Kwok and his daughter Karen since 2012. Part of Vignobles K, a company that owns several châteaux on the Bordeaux right bank. The group is masterfully managed by Jean-Christophe Meyrou. The château is the second in the group to be promoted in the Saint-Emilion wine classification after Château Bellefont-Belcier in 2006.
After acquiring the castle, Peter Kwok undertook tedious work, starting with the repair of the terraces, dismantling and then rebuilding the layout of the stones. To do this, the stones had to be cut by hand, one by one, then arranged as they had been in the 18th century. Long and exhausting work, but with marvelous results. It must be said that we are rather used to seeing this kind of landscape on the slopes of the hills of Condrieu, Côte Rôtie or Hermitage.
A small curiosity within these terraces, a stone "door" has been made in order to be able to admire a section of the various soil strata that make up the vineyard.
The château is located on clay-limestone soil, so significant for this part of the appellation. This type of soil is very popular for what it can bring to the vineyard. The wines produced are generally powerful, concentrated, fresh, with beautiful fruity aromas and, above all, made for laying down.
This type of soil is particularly beneficial to Merlot and Cabernet Franc, more so than to Cabernet Sauvignon which prefer more gravelly soils. Here, Merlot is king, supplemented by a small portion of Cabernet Franc.
Work in the cellar
Once harvest time has come, each plot is studied and tasted to determine the ideal date for harvesting the grapes. The teams will therefore learn the day before for the next day which plot they are going to harvest, in order to be able to get the most out of the grapes. Once this exhausting stage is over, comes the vinification.
Once the vinification is finished, comes the time of aging. The latter is done in 2 different ways, the first in integral vinification (as discussed above), the second in oak barrels for a period of 15 to 18 months. The proportion of new barrels is approximately between 30% and 40% depending on the vintage, the rest being aged in barrels of 1 to 2 wines. Bottling takes place at the château.
Once the vinification is finished, comes the time of aging. The latter is done in 2 different ways, the first in integral vinification (as discussed above), the second in oak barrels for a period of 15 to 18 months. The proportion of new barrels is approximately between 30% and 40% depending on the vintage, the rest being aged in barrels of 1 to 2 wines. Bottling takes place at the château.
Suite à cette visite s’en est suivie une dégustation des divers vins produits par les Vignobles K. Vous pourrez retrouver mes commentaires de dégustation dans la Tasting Zone.
