Tour Saint Christophe 2020 (750ML)

96 JS / 96 JD / 95 WI / 93 VM / 93 WA / 93 JA

The 2020 Château Tour Saint Christophe showed spectacularly well, and based off past vintages, this shouldn't surprise anyone. Based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new barrels (the balance is in second- and third-fill oak), it offers a full-bodied, incredibly pure, balanced style revealing subtle oak, terrific darker, almost blue fruits, lots of chocolate, leafy herb and mineral nuances, and gorgeous tannins. It's worth pointing out that this will be the last vintage made by the talented Jérôme Aguirre. This terrific Saint-Emilion will evolve for two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

So much black fruit, black walnuts, blueberries, wet earth, black truffles and some graphite. Medium to full body with lots of tension and focus. It runs very long with a salty undertone and some bitter, burnt lemon. Yet ever so subtle and refined. Drink after 2027. - James Suckling

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Tour Saint Christophe has a fabulously spicy nose of cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and powdered cloves, giving way to a core of juicy black and red plums, fresh blueberries, and fragrant earth, plus a waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate is fruity and beautifully poised, offering soft, elegantly played tannins, and finishing with bags of persistent, bright, pure berry layers. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2020 Tour Saint Christophe has grown into an elegant, sophisticated Saint Émilion. Red/purplish berry fruit, hard candy, mint, blood orange, pomegranate and spice all run through the 2020. Medium in body and polished, the 2020 has maybe a bit less explosive intensity than recent previous years, but plenty of class. Today, I find Tour Saint Christophe a bit subdued. -- Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

Powerful blue and black fruits, exuberant with layers of cocoa bean, espresso, smoked almond and mocha. Touch of bitterness on finish, turns into oyser shell freshness as it relaxes. Clay limestone vineyard located in St Christophe de Bardes, 20% vinified in barrel, the rest on cement tanks, 40% new oak, harvest September 14 to 28. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux