Howard Kwok & Jerome Aguirre from Tour St Christ at Harvard

[JimHow]

Made a surgical strike last night from Lewiston to Cambridge for an absolutely delightful evening at a Harvard wine tasting class with Howard Kwok and Jerome Aguirre from Chateau Tour Saint-Christophe. They were showing off their wines from Tour Saint-Christophe and Belfont Belcier, as well as a Pomerol they produce and a new white they are producing for the first time in 2017.

The star of the night was the 2016 Tour Saint-Christophe, it was brilliant, structured but not overly so, just a perfect combination of power and elegance. This wine will age beautifully for 20+ years. It was an absolutely delicious 95 point Jim How kind of wine. It is clearly a meticulously made wine, 80-20% merlot/cabernet franc content. Nothing overdone at all. I told Jerome that the very first time I tasted his wine (the delicious 2014) it immediately reminded me of Clos de l'Oratoire. He pointed out to me that Tour St. Christophe borders that property. This is really quality stuff! I can't believe I got this for $23 at Zachy's, I have a case sitting in my cellar, wish I had bought more. The New Hampshire Liquor Store has been carrying this wine, I'll be looking for it there.

Howard and Jerome were an absolute delight. We hit it off immediately. They clearly have the "BWE attitude." They are in the U.S. several times a year and want to join us for a BWE dinner. We also have an open invitation to their properties on the right bank. I seriously hope we can get a BWE gathering together with them at some point in the not-too-distant future, you will really like these guys. Jerome reminds me of Nicolas. They are both tremendous wine geeks.

I got to lead the tasting of their 2016 and speak to the group. They've invited me back to do a left bank Bordeaux event later in the semester. Old timer BWEers will recall that we taught a Bordeaux class at Harvard back in the spring of 2004, I had been invited back at that time but couldn't make it back later that semester due to scheduling issues. It took me fifteen years, but I made it back. The students were great, very engaged.

A very fun experience. I know Jeff Leve is a big fan of the Kwok family and their wines, and I can see why. Very classy people, a lot of fun with that BWE joie de vivre. If you have a chance to visit their property or meet them, I highly recommend it!

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/ ... eter-kwoks

[AKR]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the Right Bank is the Best Bank.

[jckba]

Sounds like a nice event and I have yet to try a Tour Saint Christophe wine so I will have to try and remedy that the next time I see one on the shelf.

[dstgolf]

Well done Jim. Can't agree more about TstC and the Kwok stable. I thought the 2014 Belfont Belcier that we tasted after Tim's gathering at the Chateau was pretty good and a little more refined than the St Christophe but the 15 & 16 are both superb with 2 cases along with a couple of mags 16 pending for the cellar. They priced those wines to create a market which they have and the quality is causing their price to escalate with the SAQ pricing the 2014 at $64 right now and the 2015 future price was $29. We had a very warm welcome at the Chateau and they are doing things right but we'll see where their prices will escalate to.

We were told they had rooms at Chateau Belfont B and our group was more than welcome to stay with them if we would like to bring our group back. Would love to see a 2020 BWE return to Bordeaux if it can be made to happen??

[Nicklasss]

Interesting report Jim. Making link with Bordeaux producers seems natural for you. I still have to try a Tour Saint Christophe, but i guess the success in the latest vintages is largely confirmed everywhere.

Nic

P.s. Jérôme reminds you which Nicolas?

[JimHow]

You would like these guys Nicola.
I was only able to take small sips of their wines because of my stomach problems, man this is going to really suck if I can’t drink wine.

[stefan]

Spit, BD; spit.

[JimHow]

Spitting doesn’t do it for me Stefan.

[Chateau Vin]

Nice....

Jim, how does the 16 compare to 15? Would you say 16 is better than 15? What is abv like for 16?

[JimHow]

CV: I have their 14, 15, and 16 in my cellar.
For me, 2016 is a significant step above the 2015. I just loved the style.
Not that 2015 is any slouch. I've had the 2015 twice and the first time I thought it was a little hot. the second time it seemed perfectly balanced.
I actually prefer the 2014 to the 2015. But the 2016 has it all. Absolutely loved it.
As I was leading the tasting of the 2016 I turned to Howard and Jerome and commented that the alcohol was unnoticeable, notwithstanding what I assumed must've been about 15%, and they nodded affirmatively.

[hautbrionlover]

I’m in luck. I picked up 4 bottles of the 2016 Tour St-Christophe just last night!

[JimHow]

Well done, HBL. Very well done indeed.

[JimHow]

Danny I think we need to go to Bordeaux in 2020.

[stefan]

Bdx in 2020. YES!

[JimHow]

We are going to do a double celebration in 2020 to celebrate 20 years of BWE:

1. Our regular alternating year spring convention in Washington.

2. A trip to Bordeaux.

[JimHow]

By the way, a Bordeaux trip doesn't have to be a whole week and it doesn't have to involve visits to a crazy number of chateaux.
I think we can do something a little shorter and a little more liesurely.

[JimHow]

The 2016 Tour Saint-Christophe is on sale at Zachy's on prearrival at $28.99.
That's five dollars more than what I paid for it but still an excellent deal.

The reviews lifted from the Zachy's site:

Tour St Christophe 2016 (750ML)
Zachys NY Future Arrival
94+ ZR94 WA91-94 AG96-97 JS94JD OR What is this?
Critics

Zachys Notes
94+ Points, Zachys Buying Team: "Tasted three times during En Primeur. With its prime location across from Troplong Mondot and near Tertre Rotebouef and Barde Haut, and Peter Kwok's team, this small, biodynamically run estate is easily one of the most watched projects on the Right Bank. Their terraced vineyards with old vines reaches through the limestone and gets to the blue clay underneath and gives the wine depth and minerality to go along with its signature density of fruit. It is easily one of the values of the vintage and that is saying a lot as we tasted through 400+ wines. We had the same reaction with the 2015, but in 2016 there is more freshness, verve and energy. Sure, the silky texture and ripe tannins that has become a trademark of the estate is hugely present, there is lift and nuances to go along with the red and black fruit. The acidity is higher in 2016 and we believe this is their most complete wine to date. It is so good - you can almost drink it now. We are not alone, this wine sold out in a record two hours from the negociants, and has already sold out at many merchants across the world. Just 4,000 cases are produced and few wines deliver so much at this price point. Bravo to managing director Jean Christophe Meyrou and winemaker Jerome Aguirre for making a wine of this quality accessible to so many."""

READ MORE TASTING NOTES

Wine Advocate Notes
94 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2016 Tour Saint-Christophe is made up of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It was aged in 40% new, 40% one-year-old and 20% two-year-old oak for 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it sings of roses, chocolate-covered cherries, redcurrant jelly and cinnamon stick with touches of cigar box and forest floor. Big, full-bodied and richly fruited yet with great tension, it has a compellingly perfumed palate and gorgeous velvety texture with great persistence." 11/18
Neil Martin Notes
92-94 Points, Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: ""The 2016 Tour Saint-Christophe, the Saint Emilion estate of Peter Kwok whose eye-catching terraced vineyard looks upon Barde-Haut from the other side of the valley, is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc picked between 5-23 October and matured in 40% new oak. It has a sensual bouquet with black cherries and cassis scents, the new oak neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet and supple tannin, a little richer than the 2015 and yet still managing to translate the terroir with aplomb. Tasted twice, one bottle showed a little more precision than the other, but I remain confident that this will turn into a Saint Emilion worth investigating."" 4/17 #23"

Antonio Galloni
91-94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: ""The 2016 Tour Saint Christophe is gorgeous. Exotic, ripe and voluptuous, the 2016 possesses striking aromatics and plenty of presence. Smoke, grilled herbs, inky dark fruit, crème de cassis and leather are beautifully delineated in the glass. This is the first recent vintage I can remember tasting that is not overextracted. There is a real expression of fruit. Suffice it to say, this is a very positive development for the château. Michel Rolland is the consultant. Tasted two times."" 4/17"

James Suckling Notes
96-97 Points, James Suckling: ""This is superb: a triumph for the vintage considering how complicated it was in St.-Emilion. Elegance with power. Full-bodied, intense and forthright. Wonderful length and depth. Better than the 2015."" 4/17"

Other
94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, http://www.jebdunnuck.com: "This incredibly beautiful estate was purchased by Peter Kwok, a Hong Kong-based financier, in 2012. The estate covers a tiny 6.5 hectares (some terraced) just down from Château Barde-Haut, and it remains one of the hidden gems in just about every vintage. The 2016 Château Tour Saint Christophe is another winner. Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in 40% new French oak, this concentrated, structured 2016 is one for the cellar. It offers a deep ruby/purple color and a powerful array of black fruits, graphite, and earthy minerality as well as a hint of salinity and spring flowers. It has fine tannins (but plenty of them), beautiful balance, and a straight, focused texture, all pointing to the cellar being your friend. Hide bottles of 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 15-20. Tasted twice." 2/19

[JimHow]

A couple of videos about Chateau Tour Saint-Christophe.
They've really put a big investment into that property.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUgU2LCEz2Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF-_Wtv7_uY