Chateau Tour Saint Christophe 2018

JAMES SUCKLING: "Currant, red-tea, chili, chocolate and lemon-zest aromas. Chalk and crushed gravel, too. It’s medium-bodied with tight, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Sleek and tight with crunchy berry, mineral and zesty notes on the finish. Complex. Pretty center palate to this. Extremely polished. Try from 2025."

WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "The color of dark ink with purple accents, the wine explodes from the glass with fresh brewed espresso, black cherry, licorice, smoke, menthol and chocolate. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, rich, supple and vibrant. The fruit balances power with elegance, sweetness and purity. The finish is all about the non-stop layers of fruit. The wine is made from blending 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. This is a contender for the finest vintage of Tour Saint Christophe and should age with ease for at least 20-25 years."

DUNNUCK: "Emerging from a beautiful, terraced vineyard on the eastern side of Saint-Emilion, the 2018 Château Tour Saint Christophe is based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 40% new French oak. Its vivid purple color is followed by a great nose of blackcurrants, blueberries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, violets, and chocolate. Hitting the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, it has this wonderful sense of purity and elegance, a touch of chalky minerality, flawless balance, and a great finish. This beautiful, elegant, seamless Saint-Emilion needs 4-5 years of bottle age but will evolve for 20-25 years. You won't regret having this in the cellar."

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 2018 Tour Saint Christophe represents a new level of elegance, precision and finesse for this estate in Saint-Émilion's Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes district. Silky and exceptionally polished, the 2018 oozes class. Moreover, the heavy extraction and strong torrefaction notes that marked previous vintages of the recent past have been replaced by beautifully precise, vibrant fruit. Tour Saint Christophe is one of best values in Saint-Émilion. I haven't always loved Tour Saint Christoph, but I love the 2018. It's a fabulous effort from Technical Director Jérôme Aguirre and his team. Don't miss it."

WINEADVOCATE: "A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged for around 18 months in oak barrels, 40% new, the 2018 Tour Saint Christophe weighs in at 14.6% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with bold notions of baked black cherries, plum preserves and blueberry pie plus underlying suggestions of Christmas cake, Chinese five spice and dusty soil. The full-bodied palate packs in the black and blue fruit preserves layers, framed by velvety tannins and lively acidity, finishing long and spicy."

WEINWISSER: "Purpurrot mit zarten rubinroten Reflexen. Komplexes schwarzbeeriges Bouquet mit viel Cassiswürze unterlegt, Brasiltabak und tiefschürfende Mineralik. Am mächtigen Gaumen mit engmaschigem Tanninkorsett, feinmehligem Extrakt und gestähltem Astralkörper. Im gebündelten energiegeladenen Finale schwarze Johannisbeeren, Schattenmorellen, dunkles Graphit. Großartige Leistung, hier heisst es Geduld bewahren!"

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Wasserrandaufhellung. Tabakig-kräuterwürzig unterlegte schwarze Beerenfrucht, etwas Lakritze und Edelholz. Stoffig, extraktsüß, frisch strukturiert, elegante Textur, feste, tragende Tannine, bleibt haften, ein würziger, vielseitig einsetzbarer Speisenbegleiter."