Château La Tour de By Médoc 1999 DMAGNUM 3000ml

Château La Tour de By – Médoc 1999 Double Magnum 3000 ml: A matured Cru Bourgeois from the north of the Médoc

The double magnum – 3,000 millilitres, four times the volume of a standard bottle – is the largest standard bottle size for Bordeaux wines and is regarded by connoisseurs as perhaps the ideal embodiment of a long-lived red wine. The greater volume of liquid in relation to the glass surface significantly slows down the ageing process, preserves the fruit and gives the wine a texture and depth that is almost never achievable from a standard bottle. The 1999 Château La Tour de By Médoc in this large-format bottling combines several rare factors: a time-honoured Cru Bourgeois from the northern Médoc; a vintage that long stood in the shadow of the legendary 2000 vintage, yet produced wines of remarkable elegance – and all this in a format that is virtually tailor-made for decades of ageing.

The estate: a history dating back to the 16th century

The history of Château La Tour de By dates back to the 16th century, when vines were first planted on the estate. It is documented that Pierre Tizon, Lord of the fief of By, acquired the estate in 1599. The distinctive tower that gave the estate its name was built in 1825 – originally as a lighthouse to guide sailors through the Gironde estuary on foggy nights. The château itself was built in 1876. In 1965, Marc Pagès, an agricultural engineer from Tunisia, acquired the then-dilapidated estate and made it his life’s work. With the support of Professor Émile Peynaud – the legendary consultant who shaped modern oenology in Bordeaux – Pagès brought the estate to its full glory over the course of four decades. In 1999, the year of the harvest described here, Pagès became the sole owner of the estate. Following his death in 2007, his grandson Frédéric Le Clerc took over the management and continues to run the estate to this day in his spirit – with a philosophy that combinesquality, precise winemaking and respect for traditional techniques. The estate is a member of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and was upgradedto Cru Bourgeois Supérieur in the 2003 revision of the 1932 classification .

The location: A beacon overlooking the Gironde estuary

Château La Tour de By is situated in the commune of Bégadan in the northern Médoc, not far from the banks of the Gironde estuary. The vineyards cover around 80 hectares on gravelly soils over an iron-rich subsoil – a terroir that offers optimal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape varieties consist of 60 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 per cent Merlot and 5 per cent Petit Verdot; the average age of the vines is around 45 years. Wine-making follows the estate’s traditions: vinification takes place in barriques, a third of which are replaced each year, followed by twelve months’ ageing in oak barrels comprising 25 per cent new wood. The estate’s wines are described as powerful and intensely coloured, with excellent ageing potential and a fruitiness that they retain even after years in the cellar.

The 1999 vintage: an underrated classic

The 1999 vintage in Bordeaux was characterised by unpredictable growing conditions and is often overshadowed by the dominant 2000 vintage . Nevertheless, it produced wines of remarkable elegance and good ageing potential, particularly in the northern Médoc . Yields were good in terms of volume, and a sunny September allowed the grapes to ripen fully. The Wine Independent awarded the 1999 vintage in the Médoc 85 points – a solid year which, in good hands, produced wines that are a real pleasure to drink. One forum participant aptly remarked: “Vintages such as ’99 can be good even at this level”.

Tasting notes: A wine at the peak of maturity

After more than 25 years of bottle ageing, this 1999 Château La Tour de By in a double magnum is in a condition reserved for only the very rarest of wines. The tasting notes paint a picture of a wine that has left its youth behind and is now in a phase of perfect maturity. In a vertical tasting in 2009, CellarTracker users awarded it 86 points and described the wine as having a “nicely developed bouquet” with a combination of dark and red fruits, a medium-bodied structure, elegance, soft, ripe tannins and pleasant oak in the background – ‘completely ready now’. A later tasting note on the same platform noted hints of liquorice and tobacco on the nose, as well as a soft, tertiary flavour – “whilst a good mid-level Bordeaux, it is time to drink this one”. Vivino users described the wine as “last century wine!! 1999’ with a medium garnet colour, an old Médoc nose of oak, plum, leather, cassis and vanilla that had ‘aged beautifully’, with a gentle, juicy palate and a long finish showing no signs of oxidation. Die Weinwelt describes the 1999 Cuvée Héritage Marc Pagès as having a garnet-red colour, with aromas of wood, raspberry, strawberry and blackcurrant, accompanied by vanilla and spices; on the palate , it issoft and balanced, with ripe tannins and a long finish.

The Double Magnum: A size for the ages

The existence of the 1999 vintage in large formats is documented by auction lots. On iDealwine, a magnum bottle (1500 ml) of the 1999 Château La Tour de By Cru Bourgeois was offered with a normal fill level and a slightly worn label. Prestige Cellar stocks a magnum bottle of the 1999 vintage. The fact that the estate regularly bottlesDouble Magnums, Jeroboams (5 litres) and other large formats underlines the importance of these formats for long-term storage and the high regard in which the estate holds its wines. The double magnum, with its 3,000 ml, is the classic format for special occasions – it is ideal for family celebrations, anniversaries or festive dinners and provides enough wine to entertain a larger group without having to open several bottles.

For collectors and connoisseurs, the 1999 Château La Tour de By Médoc Double Magnumis a wine of great rarity – a testament to a bygone era of Bordeaux, from a time-honoured Cru Bourgeois in the northern Médoc, crafted by a winemaker who breathed new life into the estate. Anyone who opens such a bottle holds not only a rare Bordeaux in their hands, but a piece of French wine history – and a wine that, after more than two decades of bottle ageing, has retained remarkable depth, elegance and vitality.