{"product_id":"chateau-la-tour-de-by-haut-medoc-1979","title":"Chateau La Tour de By Medoc 1979","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tower on this label was never a castle keep. It is a lighthouse, built in 1825 in the middle of the vines to guide ships on the Gironde Estuary through foggy nights, and it still stands over the estate at Bégadan. Bégadan sits in the northern Médoc, well past Saint-Estèphe. The estate's best ground is a gravel rise close to the estuary, laid over a hardpan subsoil rich in iron. Gravel drains fast and holds warmth, and the water moderates frost, which is why Cabernet ripens this far north. Red Bordeaux from the northern Médoc tends toward firm structure, cedar and graphite rather than plush fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLa Tour de By is a Cabernet Sauvignon-led Médoc blend. Today the estate plants about 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 percent Merlot and 5 percent Petit Verdot and ages the grand vin 12 months in barrel, a quarter of it new. The 1979 Bordeaux season began with a cold, wet winter and a late April chill, and flowering came late, around June 12. August ran cool, but the summer stayed dry, which kept rot away, and a fine September carried the fruit to ripeness. Picking began around October 1, and the crop was among the largest since 1934. This bottle comes from a private cellar, and its storage history and fill are unknown. Expect a garnet-brick color, a nose of dried cherry, cedar, tobacco leaf, leather and forest floor, a light, savory body with resolved tannin, and a short to medium finish. Stand the bottle upright for a day or two and decant gently off the sediment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecords show Pierre Tizon, lord of the fief of By, acquiring the property in 1599, and vines have been grown here since the 16th century. The modern estate dates to 1965, when Marc Pagès, an agricultural engineer from Tunisia, bought La Tour de By and set about restoring it. He worked with Professor Émile Peynaud and ran the estate for about four decades. That makes this 1979 a Pagès-era wine, made in the first generation of the estate's revival. In 2005 his grandson, Frédéric Le Clerc, took over and kept the same traditional approach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn old Médoc wants food that is savory and quiet, not loud. Roast a whole chicken with thyme and serve it with pan juices and roasted mushrooms; the earthy tones in the wine find the mushrooms, and its remaining acidity lifts the chicken skin. Lamb shoulder braised slowly with garlic and white beans works because the soft protein will not fight tannin that has already resolved. A plate of aged Comté or Mimolette and walnuts suits the cedar and tobacco side of the wine. Open this bottle for a dinner where the conversation is part of the point, and taste it again every 15 minutes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wilkie Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67950048739551,"sku":null,"price":67.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA170561.jpg?v=1792285080","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/products\/chateau-la-tour-de-by-haut-medoc-1979","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}