Tour Saint Christophe 2022

Always a reliable, consistent name, classified in 2022, a good quality wine with plenty of enjoyable brambled berry fruits. High alcohol as so many of these later ripening clay-limestone terroirs in the vintage, but it holds it well. Harvest September 10 to October 1, 25% new oak. Located in the commune of St Christophe des Bardes, hence the name.

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.Mid crimson. Gentle, floral nose. Nothing pushed to extreme and already fairly approachable. Neat, dry finish with some alcohol on the end. Useful, attractive wine for the short term. Light tannins. Fairly short.Drink 2026– 2036

The 2022 Tour Saint Christophe has a nicely detailed, quite fresh and airy bouquet with ample red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and a harmonious, velvety finish. This is a lovely, delicious Saint-Émilion. 2028-2045

Exhibiting notions of dark berries, blackberries and licorice, the 2022 Tour Saint Christophe is medium to full-bodied and has an enveloping texture with a fleshy core of fruit and powdery tannins leading to a long, rather concentrated finish. This blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from vines planted on clay-limestone soil is a real success.

Iodine, crushed stone, salt, oyster shell, ink pot. Fascinating. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with a firm framing of fruit, with fine tannins and electric acidity. Exceptional. pH of 3.48 with just under 15% alcohol. Still thinking about this.

Inky damson, beautiful texture and glass staining colour. Smoky reduction on the nose (they do a late malolactic because it begins naturally, so this is not unusual). It clears to reveal intense dark berry fruit, oyster-shell salinity, has tension, depth and character, a little tight at this point, but this is going to age extremely well. 39hl/h , first vintage Grand Cru Classé on the labe, 25% new oak. Emmanuelle Fulchi d'Aligny techincal director, moving over from Château Angélus, and this is the first full vintage under her direction (just did the blend of 2021).