Chateau Tour Saint Christophe

Chateau Tour Saint Christophe is a wine estate in the commune of Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes in the Saint-Émilion region of northeast Bordeaux. Named a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé in the 2022 classification of the region, it is located on the east side of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Production is focused on red blends of Merlot with Cabernet Franc; a little white wine is also made from Sauvignon Blanc.

The property has been owned – and reinvigorated – since 2012 by the Vignobles K Group – the Bordeaux-based winemaking enterprise of Hong-Kong based billionaire Peter Kwok. Other estates in the stable include Chateau Bellefont-Belcier in Saint-Émilion and Chateau La Patache in Pomerol. Tour Saint Christophe produces approximately 100,000 bottles per year as is located roughly three kilometers (two miles) east of Saint-Émilion town and is surrounded by top growths and grand cru classés. Its immediate neighbors are Chateau Troplong Mondot and Chateau Barde-Haut. There are also separate parcels next to Chateau Laroque and Chateau L'If.

The landscaping of the property is a unique feature in the Saint-Émilion region. The vineyard is partly planted on narrow terraces, where the vineyard is tended in tight five-row groups. Soils are clay-limestone: red clay on the surface, then the limestone typical of the Saint-Émilion Plateau, along with some blue clay.

Currently, 80 percent of the Chateau Tour Saint Christophe vineyards are planted with Merlot and 20 percent with Cabernet Franc. However, the final composition of each vintage depends on harvest yield, fruit character and blending decisions. Around 75 percent of the harvest is vinified in concrete tanks, with 25 percent fermented in French oak barrels. The wines are aged for 18 months in barrel, with one third new oak and the balance in one- or two-year-old oak. Since 2017, the property has also experimented in smaller volumes with vinification in amphorae. There are two second labels: Les Terrasses de Saint Christophe and La Croix Saint Christophe. Both are Saint-Émilion Grand Cru and are produced with fruit from younger vines.

Since 2018, a white wine, Chateau Tour Saint Christophe Angela, has also been produced. This is named after the owner's wife, and is made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc. It is aged in a combination of clay amphorae and new French oak barrels. Currently only around 500 bottles are produced each year.