Half Bottle: Chateau La Tour de By 2019

Cru Bourgeois Superieur Medoc, Begadan

This is a brilliantly executed 2019 with classic dark plum and 'a point' cherries on the nose with well-integrated tannins on the palate, a big concentrated mouthful of rich summer berries and a finely-tuned finish. Excellent wine making and very good value. Drinking well now with great succulence but also a claret that will continue to improve and develop with age, showing how Marc Pages winemaking skills are second to none.

This extensive 70 hectare estate is perfectly positioned on a group of gravely ridges overlooking the Gironde whilst the chateau's name comes from the tower that stands in the vineyards which was built in 1825 as a lighthouse to cover the rivers estuary. In the 1960's, three friends purchased the estate and, since then, have built it up into one of the most successful and consistent of all the Crus Bourgeois. Marc Pages, who currently manages the property, makes a rigorous selection when he chooses his final cuvees to bottle, discarding anything that does not come up to scratch. These are always deep-coloured, full-flavoured and concentrated wines with a clearly defined, black-berry fruitiness.

Cabernet-Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 32% and Cabernet Franc 5%