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Chateau La Tour Carnet

The origins of La Tour Carnet lie in the Middle Ages, although the exact details are lost in the mists of time. Initially named Chateau de Saint-Laurent, some parts of the building, specifically the round tower, date from the 11th Century. The fortress was inhabited as early as the 12th Century, by the English, and it constituted a valuable military asset when Bordeaux was under English rule. The seigneurie of St-Laurent at this time was held by the Foix family, who were closely allied to the English king. Nevertheless, the land eventually fell to French rule once again, to which the then incumbent Comte Jean de Foix refused to submit, a decision that would eventually cost him his life. He was defeated by le beau Dunois, a compatriot of Jeanne d'Arc, and the impressive castle was partly destroyed. Following these events the ruined property passed through the hands of a succession of owners, before coming to Thibault de Carmaing in the 16th Century and eventually to Charles de Leutken, a man of Swedish origin, two hundred years after that. It remained with his descendents, and at the time of the 1855 classification was under the direction of Angélique Raymond, the wife of Jean-Jacques Leutken, who worked a vineyard which covered 52 hectares.

In 1861 the estate was inherited by Angélique's son, Oscar de Leutken, who went on to be an influential local parliamentarian, and who also owned part of the Saint-Pierre vineyard. Despite the influence of its proprietor, however, the vines of La Tour Carnet were no less susceptible to phylloxera than any others in Bordeaux, and the estate subsequently went into decline, and like much of the Bordeaux vineyard it continued to deteriorate during the 20th Century. Indeed, another seven decades would pass before there was any sign of hope at La Tour Carnet. By this time the estate was in the ownership of Louis Lipschitz, a local shipping magnate, who did much to restore the chateau and associated buildings, as well as replanting the vineyards. He bequeathed La Tour Carnet to his daughter Marie-Claire Pèlegrin in 1978, and she continued his work, the once severely contracted vineyard expanding once again to a healthy 45 hectares of the Haut-Médoc appellation. There was also some innovation on the part of her husband, Guy Francois, who invented a rotary sorting table. In 1999, however, they came to sell the estate, although by this time much work had already been completed. It was acquired by its current owner Bernard Magrez, who at that time was already the proprietor of a number of other Bordeaux estates, most notably Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and Fombrauge in Saint Émilion.

The terroir around St-Laurent du Médoc includes a wide diversity of soils, but in the east of the commune, where La Tour Carnet is situated, Gunzian gravel prevails, as it does throughout many vineyards of the more famous communes of Pauillac, St Julien and others. The vineyards have a gentle slope with an aspect facing south-south-west, and beneath the gravel underfoot there are subsoils of clay and limestone. One part of the vineyard, however, to the west, is unusual in that the vines are planted on a limestone hillock, a geological curiosity known locally as the butte (hillock) or chapeau (hat) of La Tour Carnet. The vines are 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 39% Merlot, the 11% balance being Cabernet Franc, and they are on average 24 years old. They are pruned to give yields typically between 40 and 45 hl/ha. They are trained high to improve ventilation in the canopy, and there may be some cautious leaf-stripping to improve ripening of the fruit. The grapes are picked by hand and transported to the chai in small crates to reduce the risk of damage, and then they are sorted twice over. The must is fermented in stainless steel, in vats ranging from 70 to 155 hectolitres, and is transported around the cellar by gravity feed alone. There is a saignée to improve ratio of solids to liquid, and then fermentation at a maximum temperature of 32ºC, which typically lasts eight or nine days, followed by a maceration for up to a month. The selection of wines is made, the best vats destined for the grand vin, La Tour Carnet, (15000 cases per annum is typical) and the lesser ones for the second wine, Douves de Carnet (9000 cases per annum). The grand vin will go into oak for up to eighteen months depending on the vintage, with half of the barrels replaced each year, and with a regular racking. The whole process is quite traditional and fairly standard, with an egg white fining and a light filtration at the finish.

Despite the obvious investment enjoyed by La Tour Carnet over recent years, it still remains largely undiscovered, although my limited experience suggests that the wines emanating from this particular Bordeaux chai offer good quality indeed. That means that they can also offer very good value. Here is an estate that Bordeaux drinkers, rather than label drinkers, should know about. (8/6/07)

Contact details:
Address: 33112 Saint-Laurent de Médoc
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 73 30 90
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 59 48 54
Internet: www.latour-carnet.com

Chateau La Tour Carnet - Tasting Notes

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Chateau La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) 2008: Very bright and confected fruit here, with aromas of cherries and pear drops, with a sweet but dark character. Dense, delineated and rich, with high toned notes on the palate. A very ripe and substantial wine, with lots of extracted, grippy tannin and acid. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 15.5-16.5+/20 (April 2009)

Chateau La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) 2007: Dark and aromatic fruits here, fine and fairly well perfumed. Again, a leaner style on the palate, with grippy tannin for backbone, but not that much flesh or substance to cover it. Nevertheless there is something to it in the finish. And there are some appealing elements of harmony here. If it fleshes out a little more, this could be quite decent. From a tasting of 2007 Bordeaux at two years of age. 15.5+/20 (October 2009)

Chateau La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) 2006: Warm and ripe fruit, soft and open, showing some toasty oak. Gently fleshy, ripe on entry, the midpalate shows a little more firmness, although with some supple fruit laid over. It has a good acid backbone too. It is quite soft overall, although those tannins are ripe, and it could firm up further in the cellar. From a tasting of 2006 Bordeaux at two years of age. 15.5+/20 (October 2008)

Chateau La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) 2005: CS 52%, M 48%. A very dark hue. The nose has a plethora of rip black fruits, and there is good character on the palate. Supple but fairly forceful tannins, firm acidity, with a good presence of soft and rounded fruit. Decent weight. At the right price, this could provide some good value drinking. From my 2005 Bordeaux assessment. 16-17/20 (April 2006)

Chateau La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) 2004: This is a completely different kettle of fish compared to the other Haut-Médoc wines tasted alongside; here we have ripe and rather tarry fruit, still smothered in oak, with spicy and high-toned elements alongside. Soft on the palate, with nice flesh, and some definition provided by a firm seam of ripe, slightly chewy tannins. There is a good acid core, bright flavours, a little freshness and even a little length. This could be really good, given time. From a 2004 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 16.5+/20 (November 2008)

Chateau La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) 2004: A nose of dark black fruits, with some very nice creamy oak, presented in a very attractive style. Reserved, stylish palate, nicely textured, with ripe and peppery tannins. Smoky, tannic grip, and nice extract. This is very good. From my Bordeaux 2004 assessment. 16+/20 (October 2006)

Chateau La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) 2003: Rather a glossy hue, deep red colour, nicely concentrated right out to the rim. A meaty and complex nose. This is fairly typical of the 2003 vintage on the palate, a huge wealth of tannin, but there is also a lot of fruit texture. Rather soft acidity, as also might be expected. But it has some vigour nevertheless, and lovely flavour too. A firm finish. Very good potential here; I like this. 17+/20 (February 2007)

Chateau La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) 1990: A very similar mahogany-tinged deep red colour. A bit stinky at first, and quite closed, but the nose soon opens out to reveal sweet fruit and a metallic, iron-filing nuance. Good extract and richness on the palate, but not overdone. Sweet rounded texture and correct acidity. Roasted fruits with a meaty character. Drinking now. From a 1990 Bordeaux tasting. 17/20 (May 2003)