"2009, a great vintage at La Tour de By"

Diary Entry #3 of Benjamin Richer de Forges, winemaker at Château La Tour de By : This week, I continue to tell you the story of La Tour de By… My grandfather became the sole owner of the estate in 1999. In 2009, following his death in 2007 and the arrival of my cousin Frédéric at the estate in 2005, I began working on the property. Frédéric and I share the same vision and are committed to evolving the style of our wines, aiming for even more freshness and fruit.

2009: A major revelation for Bettane and Desseauve

2009 is a great vintage at La Tour de By, in more ways than one, since Michel Bettane ( Bettane + Desseauve ) affirms " By far the greatest wine ever produced by the property for a generation... the best terroir of the appellation is finally expressing itself fully! ".

A wonderful revelation when you know that Michel Bettane knew our grandfather very well and always closely followed the wines of La Tour de By.

A very promising harvest for the 2015 vintage

A final word on the harvest… 2015 is already an exceptional vintage! We've been waiting for it for a long time! All the ingredients are there: a very cold winter that allowed the vines to regenerate well, rain but not too much to deplete water reserves, a beautiful spring that allowed the vines to develop well and even get ahead of schedule! This summer, the intense heat allowed for excellent ripening of the grapes, which continued smoothly into September.

In conclusion, the harvest, which began on September 28th, yielded ripe, concentrated, and fruity Merlots, as well as well-structured Cabernet Sauvignons with fine, precise tannins and lovely acidity. The Petits Verdots are superb, with beautiful substance and very elegant tannins. A vintage of great balance!

Find my wines on Les Grappes

Benjamin Richer de Forges (winemaker at Château La Tour de By)

Pourquoi nous faire confiance ?

Depuis 2014, chez Les Grappes, nous partons à la rencontre de vignerons passionnés partout en France pour dénicher des vins authentiques, vivants et pleins d'histoire. En travaillant directement avec plus de 500 vignerons, nous sélectionnons des cuvées que nous aimons vraiment et que nous avons envie de vous faire découvrir.

Ce blog est le prolongement de cette aventure. On y partage nos découvertes, nos conseils, nos coups de cœur, nos meilleurs accords mets-vins, des idées de dégustation et tout ce qui nous anime au quotidien autour du vin.

L'objectif est simple : vous aider à choisir des bouteilles qui vous ressemblent et à prendre encore plus de plaisir à les déguster.