#236 Chateau La Tour de By

When you have a wine shop with loads of wines, it is impossible to know everything about every wine.  And a few years ago, I was selling the 2000 vintage of Chateau La Tour de By without knowing a damn thing about the company!  I’d tried the wine, and liked it, indeed I bought a case of it of which I still have the majority of, but ask me a damn thing about the chateau, it’s history, the owners, and I would have drawn a blank… or made something up… like they won the Chateau in a bet…. or playing cards….

Anyway, the end result is that I liked their wines and sold them by the bucket load.  We were making profit on them, the customer was getting a good deal, and everyone wins.  But since then two things have happened.  Firstly, we ran out of stock of the 2000 vintage, and secondly, I still didn’t know a damn thing about Chateau La Tour de By!

So when I got a chance to revisit the wines from this Chateau, I jumpted at the chance.  Starting with the 2001 vintage, I found it to have lovely light raspberries, some polished wood and cinnamon aromas too.  The palate had lovely green peppers and then a spicy, almost chilli chocolate flavour, with gorgous stone fruit flavours.  Subtle tannins, gently coating your mouth, and this wine is perfect now.  7.5/10

The 2004 vintage had mint up front, with nice raspberry and cocoa.  The palate was surprisingly fruit driven for its youth, a good balance, a bit of leather and lots of chocolate on the finish.  Seriously, lots!  I like it, but it just tastes as though it is trying to get points!  7/10  A complete contrast to the 2005 which was a lot more herbal, with some stony elements, a lot of dried fruit which was hidden by the dark, leathery aromas.  Very closed, with firm tannin, a lot of rustic, dark secondary flavours masking the fruit.  One to put aside, but a well made wine.  8/10

The 2006, though still young, was showing signs of opening up.  Some cherry and cranberries on the nose, with a palate of liquorice, dark chocolate, some cherry creeping through, and tannins that were like licking a leather jacket!  7/10.  Finally, the 2009 vintage.  Still an unfinished product, but you get a concentrated mass of fruit and insane tannin!  Some dark flavours, very concentrated and tight.  Still an impressive wine, and one that I will be buying a case of!  8/10

These wines are exactly how I remember the chateau, honestly priced claret at a good price.  I still don’t know a damn thing about the producer though…

All Chateau La Tour de By are available through independent retailers, and Thorman Hunt & Co.  They retail at between £16 and £19 per bottle