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

Diary #3 by 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 on the estate in 2005, I started working on the property. With Frédéric, we share the same vision and we are keen to develop the style of our wines, to move towards even more freshness and fruit.

2009: A great 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) says "By far the greatest wine ever produced by the property for a generation ... the best terroir of the appellation is finally expressing itself to the full! "».

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

A very promising harvest for the 2015 vintage

A last word on the harvest... 2015 is already an exceptional vintage! We have been waiting for it for a long time! All the ingredients are present: a very cold winter which allowed the plant to regenerate well, rain but not too much for the water reserves, a beautiful spring which allowed the vine to develop well and even get ahead! This summer, the great heat allowed a beautiful ripening of the berries which continued serenely in September.

In conclusion, the harvest, which began on September 28th, gave us very ripe, concentrated and fruity Merlots, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, well structured with fine and precise tannins and a nice acidity. The Petits Verdots are superb with a beautiful body and very racy tannins. A vintage of great balance!

Find my wines on Les Grappes

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