Situated in the commune of Saint-Laurent-Médoc, the Château La Tour Carnet vineyard covers 176 hectares of vines. Planted at a high density (8 to 10,000 feet per hectare), the vines are aged 32 years on average and planted in Gunzian gravel soils upon a mostly calcareous clay base. The vineyard of Château La Tour Carnet has achieved the label of High Environmental Value Level 3.
The vinification and ageing
Harvested manually, the grapes undergo an initial sorting in the vineyard, followed by manual sorting on a vibrating table, then de-stemming and optical sorting. Cooling of the harvested fruit using a cryogenic tunnel (by spraying liquid nitrogen). Vatting by gravity. Vinification in oak vats and small cement vats. Cold pre-fermentation maceration (8 C). Fully manual punching downs. Alcoholic fermentation at a low temperature (28 C). Maceration period of 25 to 32 days. Ageing lasts 16 months in barrels, 30% of which are new oak barrels.
The 2020 la Tour Carnet sports a deep purple-black color and notes of crushed red and black currants, Morello cherries and fresh blackberries, plus hints of lavender, pencil lead and tobacco leaf with a touch of bay leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a great intensity of crunchy black fruits with a lively backbone and fine-grained tannins, finishing with great length and a skip in its step. Nicely done!
The Château La Tour Carnet 2020 is made from a blend of Merlot (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%).
Award:
94 Wine Enthusiast
93 James Suckling
93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
93 Vinous
