Chateau Tour Saint Christophe is a Bordeaux wine estate located in the Saint Emilion Grand Cru appellation at the border between the villages of Saint-Emilion and Saint Christophe des Bardes. The property overlooks beautiful centuries-old dry stone terraces on a clay-limestone subsoil. The shape of the property is a unique feature among the vineyards of Saint-Emilion, partly planted on narrow terraces where the vineyard is tended in tight five-row groups. This micro-landscape extends onto the slope overlooking the St Laurent valley.

In order to preserve the estate’s rich heritage, owner Peter Kwok undertook a recent restoration of the Chateau and revived the vineyard terraces with the reconstruction of dry stone walls as it had been built in the 18th century. About 1.5 km of dry-stone terraces have been repaired by hand, a two-year process, preserving their unique appearance.

The vineyard has an ideal south-southwest exposure and perfect natural drainage conditions. It is this secret alchemy which contributes to the quality of their terroir. The vines, 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, have an average age of thirty years.

When Peter Kwok purchased Chateau Tourans in 2015, its vines were added to Chateau Tour Saint Christophe, bringing the estate’s vineyard surface up to 20 hectares.

Chateau Tour Saint Christophe is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc grown on clay and limestone soil. The sorted grapes are put directly into concrete tanks or Bordeaux barrels (about 25% of the harvest). This follows the method of Vinification Intégrale, particularly well-suited for the Chateau Tour Saint Christophe terroir.

The wine is aged in the same barrels for 15-18 months at constant temperature in the underground cellar. Depending on the vintage, the proportion of new oak varies from 30% to 40% with the balance using 1- and 2-year old barrels.