The Chateau, situated close to the banks of the Gironde Estuary, was classified as a Cru Bourgeois in 1932 and was owned by M. Julien Damoy before it was acquired by Messrs. Cailloux, Lapalu and Pagès in 1965. Marc Pagès and his children became sole owners in June 1999. They remain proprietors to this day. The "tour" - or tower - a former lighthouse constructed in 1825 on the ruins of a windmill, overlooks both the vines and the estuary. In 2003 La Tour de By was classified as Cru Bourgeois Superior.

It is a vast estate covering 73-hectares in Brégaden, in one of the most northern areas of Médoc. The vines are planted on a gravel rise, this favourable terroir lending the wine more depth and concentration than many other Cru Bourgeois. The cultivated grape varietals are 55% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 3% cabernet franc planted at a vine-density between 5,500 and 10,000 per hectare. Yields are comparitively high.

The wine is fermented for three to four weeks in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats and the aged in barrel for 12 months, with one-quarter in new oak. Approximately 40,000 cases are produced per annum, along with a second label entitled "La Roque de By".