Description
Château Tour Saint-Pierre, Saint-Émilion
We’re in awe of what’s in front of you because we’ve never seen anything like it before. This classic 2004 Saint-Émilion, vetted amidst a throng of formidable competition, was exclusively imported by us for a veritable steal, and we’re passing the savings along to you. Something of this substantial age, perfect provenance, and high caliber surely sounds familiar to longtime subscribers, but certainly not the $29 price tag attached to it. There is no typo here—this mammoth value truly breaks the scales. That’s just the reward that comes with carefully sweeping the vast Bordelais terroir of ancient Saint-Émilion!
Although home to the four behemoths of Angélus, Ausone, Pavie, and Cheval Blanc, there are unexplored châteaux quietly crafting wine nearby, for fractions less. Tour Saint-Pierre is one of them. While we don’t know much about the estate, what we do know is they still had a small parcel of 2004 Grand Vin slumbering in the dark of their cellar. We took what we could. This mature Bordeaux is full of dried plums and accented with spice, baked clay, and ultra-savory herbs. Buying six bottles—we can part with up to 12—earns free shipping directly to your door. Flawlessly preserved, 18-year-old Saint-Émilion beauties for pennies on the dollar? SOLD!
I’ll never tire of visiting the medieval village of Saint-Émilion and the swathes of rolling vineyards that surround it. There’s simply too much history and idyllic beauty to absorb here. The town itself is probably the most beautiful I’ve seen—full of cobblestone streets, ancient masonry, and stunning architecture, it’s like stepping back in time 1,000 years. All this certainly adds to the allure of the Merlot-heavy reds being produced here, but the genuine influence isn’t visible to the untrained eye: the soil. As Right Bank lovers are aware, Saint-Émilion has one of the region’s greatest concentrations of limestone. That, plus beneficial pockets of gravelly clay serve as a Shangri-La to Merlot.
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Although recently acquired by a Chinese conglomerate, Château Tour Saint-Pierre has a decidedly French story: For 91 years, starting in 1928, it was successive generations of the Goudineau family who oversaw and made wine from the property’s 12 hectares of vines. Their vineyards are classic compositions as well—largely planted to Merlot with smatterings of Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon. Upon harvest in 2004, this cuvée saw varietally separate fermentations in concrete vessels before the resulting wines were blended and transferred into French barrels. After 24 months of maturation, the wine was bottled. This parcel was then subsequently “forgotten about” for nearly 15 years.
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In the glass, Tour Saint-Pierre’s 2004 Saint-Émilion reveals a hazy garnet center that moves to brick-orange reflections on the rim. Served at 65 degrees in Bordeaux stems, the aromas are mature and earthy with dried red plums, redcurrants, dried strawberry, vintage leather, dried rose, sandalwood, baked clay, bay leaf, and exotic spice. The structured, “old-school” palate is medium-bodied and driven by dried fruits, humus, tobacco, and cedar. Plenty of grip and acidity keeps the fruit intact as the slow-churning core of crushed earth makes its way to a soft, savory finish. I suggest enjoying your open bottle within the first two hours, and uncorking the rest of your stock over the next 3-5 years. This level of quality and longevity for $30? Wow!
