Château la Tour Carnet

Identity

Château La Tour Carnet is an 1855 Grand Cru Classé located in Saint-Laurent-Médoc in the Gironde. The estate is owned by Bernard Magrez, with Frédéric Chabaneau serving as its director.

History and Philosophy

Château La Tour Carnet dates back to the 12th century as a defensive fortress, featuring a square tower built in the 13th century and a 17th-century manor house. Vines were reportedly planted here as early as 1407, with the first documented harvest taking place in 1409. One of its former owners was Éléonore, sister of Michel de Montaigne. The estate was acquired by Bernard Magrez in 2000. In 2013, the estate launched an ambitious research project named “La Tour Carnet 2050”, which studies vineyard adaptation to climate change by simulating a temperature rise of 2 to 4°C by 2050. This project involves cultivating more than 80 grape varieties—including heritage varieties and grapes well-suited to warmer climates—on an experimental 2.5-hectare plot, supported by a dedicated vinification cellar fitted with 84 small-capacity vats.

Appellations

Château La Tour Carnet primarily produces wines under the Haut-Médoc appellation. It also crafts a white wine under the Bordeaux Blanc appellation.

Practical Information

Château La Tour Carnet is located in Darrous, 33112 Saint-Laurent-Médoc. For visits and tastings, the estate is open throughout the tourist season and on weekends by appointment. You can contact the estate on +33 (0)5 57 26 90 37 or by email at oenotourisme@pape-clement.com. The estate also offers guest rooms and cellar-door wine sales.

Find Out More

Official estate website

The Vineyard (Terroir)

The vineyard at Château La Tour Carnet covers approximately 180 hectares, with 165 hectares planted with red varieties and 1 hectare with white. It is established on Pyrenean gravel and clay-limestone soils. The red grape varieties consist predominantly of Merlot (53% to 60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (35% to 40%), complemented by Cabernet Franc (1% to 7%) and Petit Verdot (2% to 4%). The vines have an average age of 30 years and are planted at a density of 8,000 vines per hectare. The white grape varieties comprise Sauvignon Blanc (56%), Sémillon (26%), and Sauvignon Gris (18%). The estate implements sustainable viticulture practices and holds Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) certification, along with AREA certification and the Environmental Management System (SME du CIVB). Vineyard management includes pruning, leaf removal, and green harvesting. Harvesting is carried out by hand in small crates, followed by meticulous sorting.

Flagship Cuvées

Château La Tour Carnet produces several cuvées. The Grand Vin red, Château La Tour Carnet, is an 1855 Grand Cru Classé crafted from a blend dominated by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its vintages reveal an expressive nose of dark fruit underpinned by subtle oak, alongside an opulent, velvety structure. The estate's second wine is named Les Douves de La Tour Carnet, and another cuvée, La Mémoire de La Tour Carnet, is also produced. The estate also crafts a white wine, Château La Tour Carnet Blanc, under the Bordeaux Blanc appellation, blended from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Vinification and Ageing

For the red wines, vinification includes an initial sort in the vineyard, manual sorting on vibrating tables, destemming, densimetric sorting, and cooling of the harvest in a cryogenic tunnel. Gravity-fed vatting takes place in wooden and concrete vats. Cold pre-fermentation macerations are carried out, followed by manual punch-downs (pigeages) and low-temperature alcoholic fermentations. Total maceration lasts between 25 and 32 days. Ageing is conducted in barrels for 16 months, with 30% new oak. For the white wine, the harvest is carried out by hand in small crates. Following an initial sort in the vineyard, the grapes are gently pressed, followed by cold settling and cold liquid stabulation. Alcoholic fermentation takes place at low temperatures. Ageing lasts 8 to 10 months on fine lees with regular stirring (bâtonnage), without pumping over or filtration before bottling. The estate also features an experimental cellar with 84 temperature-controlled vats ranging from 1 to 4 hl for its grape variety trials.