Château La Tour de By

Vines have been grown at La Tour de By since the 16th century, and records show that the château was acquired by Pierre Tizon, lord of the fiefdom of By, in 1599. The tour, or tower is the symbol of the estate and is a former lighthouse that was built in the middle of the vines in 1825 to guide sailors navigating the Gironde estuary on foggy nights. Marc Pagès, an agricultural engineer from Tunisia, purchased this beautiful estate in the northern Médoc in 1965 and was responsible for its rebirth. He was assisted by advice from Professor Émile Peynaud, who contributed enormously to making the most of the remarkable terroir. A tank commander in General Leclerc's second armored division that liberated Strasbourg, Marc Pagès unquestionably brought this Médoc estate up to its full potential in the four decades during which he managed it. His grandson, Frédéric Le Clerc, is now in charge of La Tour de By, which he runs according to a philosophy combining quality, precision winemaking, and respect for tradition.