Chateau La Tour de By Medoc Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau La Tour de By, Medoc with wine tasting notes, and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau La Tour de By History, Overview

Chateau La Tour de By has a long history in the Medoc that can be traced back to the 1700s as a vineyard. However, the creation of the estate dates back much further than that, as it was founded all the way back in 1599, making it one of the oldest properties in the Medoc. Interestingly, the tower in the estate’s name is actually a lighthouse, constructed in 1611.

At the time, it was known as La Roque de By. The de By in the name comes from the location of their vines, which are placed in the de By sector of the appellation. The first part of the name refers to the large, picturesque lighthouse that graces the property, which can be seen on the labels. The picturesque chateau was constructed later, in about 1876.

The modern era for Chateau La Tour de By begins in 1965, when the Pages family, along with two other families, the Lapalue and Cailloux families, purchased the Left Bank property. In 1999, the Pages family, headed by Marc Pages purchased the remaining two-thirds of Chateau La Tour de By and became the sole owner.

Chateau La Tour de By Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The large, 74-hectare vineyard of Chateau La Tour de By is planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. The terroir is typical of that part of the region with its gravel-based soils. The vines are old at 40 years of age.

The vineyard, located close to the Gironde estuary is planted to a vine density that ranges from 5,500 vines per hectare to 10,000 vines per hectare, depending on the parcel. There is one unique feature to the vineyards of La Tour de By, they occupy the highest elevation from the north of Pauillac to above the St. Estephe appellation.

While the average vine age here is impressive, at close to 40 years, they also have some very old vines that are more than 100 years of age! The vineyards are machine harvested.

The best vintages of Chateau La Tour de By are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2010, 2009 and 2005.

To produce the wine of Chateau La Tour de By, vinification takes place in a combination of temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks and oak, wood vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat.

The wine is aged in 30% new, French oak barrels for an average of 16 months. There is a second wine, La Roque de By.

The estate also makes a special, high-end wine, Cuvee Exception Hommage Marc Pages which comes from the estate’s oldest vines and is most often produced from a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Production is on average close to 40,000 cases of Chateau La Tour de By per vintage.

In addition, they also produce La Tour de By Cuvée Petit Verdot, a tiny 50 case production made as the name implies entirely from Petit Verdot.

When to Drink Chateau La Tour de By, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau La Tour de By can be decanted for an average of 1 hour or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau La Tour de By is usually better with at least 1-3 years of bottle age.

Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau La Tour de By offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 2-9 years of age after the vintage.

Serving and Decanting Chateau La Tour de By with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau La Tour de By is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The wine of Chateau La Tour de By is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau La Tour de By is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms and pasta as well as cheese.

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