Château LA TOUR DE BY 1996
Château La Tour de By is located in Bégadan, in the Médoc appellation in the Bordeaux wine region. The history of the estate dates back to the 18th century, first known as La Roque de By. The chateau takes its modern name from a prominent stone tower on the property and its location in the By region of the Médoc. It has belonged to the Pagès family since 1999, after decades of co-ownership with two other Bordeaux families. In 2005, the transmission was established and Marc Pagès called at his side the eldest of his grandsons, Frédéric Le Clerc, a polytechnician by training and a water and forest engineer. In 2009, the last of his grandsons, Benjamin Richer de Forges, joined his cousin Frédéric. Today, the property covers 94 hectares of which approximately 74 hectares are planted with vines.
La Tour de By is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot . The vinification takes place in the wine cellar dating from 1910. The wooden and stainless steel vats equipped with automated thermoregulation allow vatting for 3 to 5 weeks during the alcoholic fermentation. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels : 1/3 new, 1/3 of one wine, 1/3 of two wines.
The 1996 vintage for Bordeaux was extremely good : a mild winter and a warm spring with a month of March bringing significant heat. A hot and dry September favored the ripening of the grapes, which particularly benefited the Médoc. The harvest was a complete success. Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly from the Médoc, has produced tannic, structured, very concentrated wines that are suitable for ageing.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot