Château Tour Bayard
The
Château Tour Bayard has only been in the family since 1956, but the
Nicoletti-Richards have already demonstrated great skill in bringing out the
best in the land. Current owners Fanny Nicoletti-Richard and Bruno Richard
inherited the estate from Fanny’s parents, who purchased the domaine, but
several generations of the family had already worked as vignerons at other estates in the region, so the Nicolettis were
masters of their trade by the time they arrived at the château.
Unlike
some of their fancier neighbors, these Right Bank vignerons get a little earth under their fingernails. The Richards
also plant other crops in addition to their vines, but it is their Montagne
St-Émilion that surprises us year after year with its firm, chewy tannins,
plump fruit, and incredible value. Montagne St-Émilion is regarded as a
“satellite appellation” of St-Émilion. While it shares much of St-Émilion’s
elegance and quality, the wines are a fraction of the price and the estates
much less corporate than those in the neighboring hillside town. The Richards
tend ten hectares of forty-year-old vines, deeply rooted in clay and limestone
soils in a perfectly exposed natural amphitheater where they incorporate
organic methods, shunning chemical pesticides in favor of natural composts
which encourage microbiological activity in the soil. The Tour Bayard vineyards
face south, yielding such ripeness that Kermit has been known to follow Bandol
tastings with their wines. Merlot accounts for 70% of the blend, along with 25%
Cabernet Franc (known regionally as Bouchet), and 5% Malbec. All vineyard
parcels are hand picked and vinified separately. This terrifically bold
Montagne St-Émilion is another amazing KLWM selection that is approachable
enough to be enjoyed now and intense enough to age happily in your cellar for
years to come.
The Château Tour Bayard has only been in the family since 1956, but the Nicoletti-Richards have already demonstrated great skill in bringing out the best in the land. Current owners Fanny Nicoletti-Richard and Bruno Richard inherited the estate from Fanny’s parents, who purchased the domaine, but several generations of the family had already worked as vignerons at other estates in the region, so the Nicolettis were masters of their trade by the time they arrived at the château.
Unlike some of their fancier neighbors, these Right Bank vignerons get a little earth under their fingernails. The Richards also plant other crops in addition to their vines, but it is their Montagne St-Émilion that surprises us year after year with its firm, chewy tannins, plump fruit, and incredible value. Montagne St-Émilion is regarded as a “satellite appellation” of St-Émilion. While it shares much of St-Émilion’s elegance and quality, the wines are a fraction of the price and the estates much less corporate than those in the neighboring hillside town. The Richards tend ten hectares of forty-year-old vines, deeply rooted in clay and limestone soils in a perfectly exposed natural amphitheater where they incorporate organic methods, shunning chemical pesticides in favor of natural composts which encourage microbiological activity in the soil. The Tour Bayard vineyards face south, yielding such ripeness that Kermit has been known to follow Bandol tastings with their wines. Merlot accounts for 70% of the blend, along with 25% Cabernet Franc (known regionally as Bouchet), and 5% Malbec. All vineyard parcels are hand picked and vinified separately. This terrifically bold Montagne St-Émilion is another amazing KLWM selection that is approachable enough to be enjoyed now and intense enough to age happily in your cellar for years to come.
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Montagne Saint-Émilion |
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc | 40 years | Clay, Limestone | 10 ha |
Montagne St. Emilion “Cuvée l’Angelot” |
95% Malbec, 5% Merlot | 40 years | Clay, Limestone | 10 ha |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
• All grapes are harvested by hand and are then sorted and de-stemmed before fermentation in thermo-regulated, cement cuves
• All parcels and grape varieties are vinified separately
• Fermentation lasts two to three weeks
Montagne St. Emilion:
• The wine is raised for 12 months, 60% in cement cuves, 20% new oak, 20% in one year old barrels
Montagne St. Emilion “Cuvée l’Angelot”:
• Cuvée is named for Fanny Richard’s father, Angelo Nicoletti, the first generation of her family to own the domaine
• Vinified in 100% new oak (500-L barrels) and aged for 24 months in 100% new barriques
• Only 2500 bottles produced
General Information
- Country
- France
- Region
- Bordeaux
- Appellation(s)
- Montagne Saint-Émilion
- Producer
- Fanny Richard and Julien Richard
- Founded
- 1955
- Annual Production
- 4,000
- Farming
- Lutte Raisonnée