Wine Advisor
La Tour de By 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 La Tour de By displays enticing scents of wild blueberries, black raspberries and cassis plus hints of dried lavender, dark chocolate and stewed tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing and well-balanced with a slightly chewiness to the texture and a bright, fruity finish.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Revealing aromas of sweet berries and cassis mingled with cigar wrapper, violets and spices, the 2019 La Tour de By is medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, with lively acids, powdery tannins and good persistence on the finish. It's already showing much better than it did shortly after bottling.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Offering up notions of earthy berries, cherries and licorice, the 2019 La Tour de By is medium to full-bodied, with an open-knit core of fruit, chewy tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a rather ephemeral finish. I suspect it may show more charm on the palate with a year or two of bottle age.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 La Tour de By is a powerful, hearty wine. Black cherry, scorched earth herbs, licorice and game give the 2019 a decidedly rustic feel, but there is more than enough fruit to balance things out. Drink this hearty, flavorful Médoc over the next handful of years.
About the Producer
The Chateau La Tour de By is a 94-hectare family wine estate present on a ridge in Girondines, between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. The winery has a long history in Medoc that goes back to almost the 16th century and is one of the oldest properties of the region. The estate is named so because the vineyards are placed in the de By appellation. The first name tells about the large tower on their property that is also pictured on the wine labels. The chateau in its current form was constructed in 1876. The Pages family purchased the property in 1965, and in 1999, Marc Pages became the sole owner of the wine estate. It is now managed by Marc Pagès’ grandsons: Frédéric Le Clerc as Managing Director and Benjamin Richer de Forges as Commercial Director. Their vineyards are around 40 years old, and some also date back to a hundred years old. The terroir features gravel soils which along with a unique microclimate makes the region perfect for cultivating vines. The main grapes grown in their vineyards are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The best grapes are processed to make their famous red and white wines. Harvesting takes place through machines, and the wines are fermented under controlled temperatures for 3 to 5 weeks. The wines are allowed to age in half-buried French oak barrels. Since the 80s, ecological and sustainable methods are being used to preserve the vines, to prevent diseases, and to minimize the use of chemicals.
