2019 BWE WINE OF THE YEAR: 2016 TOUR SAINT CHRISTOPHE

[OrlandoRobert]

Marc, b21 locally had 2014, 2015, and 2016, they’d just sold out fast. Clearly they are popular and have a following, plus, if you like a more forward style, they are crazy QPRs.

Jim, I hope you know I was kidding when I said I was breaking up with you!

[JimHow]

Ha ha I OB, I know, I know....
We'll drink some good old fashioned fine northern Medocs in February!

[greatbxfreak]

JimHow,

I don't want to be rude but you sound like a shining advertisement for Tour Saint Christophe!

I taste it every year during primeur and I visited this property in October 2016:

From my website - ..... One Saturday in October 2016 I went to Tour Saint Christophe, a property situated magnificently on the border of Saint-Emilion and Saint-Christophe des Bardes. The view from there towards Troplong Mondotte is breathtaking. I tasted 2015 vintage of all properties except Enclos de Viaud. Haut Brisson (90% M+10% CF) had earthy flavours, ripe black fruit and tannin, strong backbone, fine acidity, fine balance and persistent finish. 89p. Tour Saint Christophe (80% M+20% CF) was much better wine than HB with more power, concentration and depth. Ripeness of both fruit and tannin was better here. Delightful wine for keeping. 92-93p. La Patache (85%M+15% CF) from sandy part of Pomerol showed violets and black fruit, also some extraction and earthy flavours, was a little bit tired (racking?). Quite good one. 88-89p. Enclos Tourmaline (100% Merlot) which 1 ha vineyard consists of four different plots in the best part of Pomerol (Le Plateau Argileux), is made in very modern style with vinification of whole clusters, 100% new oak, etc. For my taste, despite this wine splendid intensity and acidity, it tasted a bit overdone and too extracted. But many people like that style. 92+p.

They are very enthusiastic with 2016 vintage at Vignobles K and I hope they will back down a bit with big extraction and including stems at Enclos Tourmaline, so 2016 will be fruitier and fresher. Nevertheless, it's a property to follow closely in coming vintages."

I rated 2017 TSC 90p and 2018 91-92p.

As I said before pretty wine, polished, quite modern, fine qpr for money. But there are plenty of these wines in Bordeaux.

[RPCV]

I applaud the choice, but disagree. Nothing wrong with that....is there? I have consumed all three vintages and know the agronomy of the site and wine-making technique well. A wonderful owner and the recent improvements are substantial, but modern. A glass at a bistro is great but a WOTY on this board, with this pedigree and prior choices???...Oh well, I sound like an ***hole now. Best wishes in 2020

[robertgoulet]

Marc, b21 locally had 2014, 2015, and 2016, they’d just sold out fast. Clearly they are popular and have a following, plus, if you like a more forward style, they are crazy QPRs.

Jim, I hope you know I was kidding when I said I was breaking up with you!

B21 is the other coast!! This is Orlando where we just brought in Mouton Cadet.

[OrlandoRobert]

Marc, b21 locally had 2014, 2015, and 2016, they’d just sold out fast. Clearly they are popular and have a following, plus, if you like a more forward style, they are crazy QPRs.

Jim, I hope you know I was kidding when I said I was breaking up with you!

B21 is the other coast!! This is Orlando where we just brought in Mouton Cadet.

Marcy-Marc, you clearly are not VIP. B21 delivers direct to my office in a refrigerated van, it hits my mail room, and the boys bring it down and load into my office wine fridge. That’s local, baby! And I’m a Locavore.

[DavidG]

Alfert has staff to polish his stems and pull his corks.

[OrlandoRobert]

Alfert has staff to polish his stems and pull his corks.

Hey, hey . . . I thought this was a family forum!

[AKR]

People should lay down supplies down of this estate. Look what happened to Angelus after their well regarded 89 & 90 - much more scarce and costly.

[brodway]

agreed Arv....i've been buying a few of each one of the Kwok estates.....the Haut Brisson is $22.99....i'd be hard pressed to find any wine in this price range to compete.

[Comte Flaneur]

Look the cynic in me eyes rolling said a Rollandised 15%er...and as already noted there are so many superstars in the 2016 vintage... but as Jim noted most of us haven’t even tried it yet and he has so the pragmatist in me says give it a fair crack of the whip as they say Down Under, and the price point looks good, so maybe Jim is on the something really good ahead of the pack, so it could well be a case of perspicacious Jim. Looking forward to meeting Howard and trying his wines. That Tuesday is going to be one incredible day, because by the time we get there we will have tried quite a few big wines.

[robert goulet]

15% could very well be 15.5%

[jckba]

15% could very well be 15.5%

And therein lies the silver lining, at least it will not be subject to this first round of tariffs

[AKR]

agreed Arv....i've been buying a few of each one of the Kwok estates.....the Haut Brisson is $22.99....i'd be hard pressed to find any wine in this price range to compete.

I had an older one last year, probably from when the Kwok's first started making wine here

http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... f=4&t=8018