Wine Advisor
La Tour Carnet 2003
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A classified growth that remains somewhat under-the-radar (especially in 2003), La Tour Carnet’s 2003 is made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon blended with small percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The dark ruby/plum color is followed by a rich, lush, round, fully mature wine with low acidity, ripe fruit and a classic Bordeaux character. Drink this outstanding effort over the next decade.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A long forgotten classified growth being brought back to life by proprietor Bernard Magrez and his winemaking team of Michel Rolland and Jean Cordeau, the 2003 La Tour Carnet (a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot) is not as riveting as the brilliant 2001 or 2000. Nevertheless, it is a complex offering revealing an evolved bouquet of dried herbs, underbrush, black cherries, and currants. This seductive, medium-bodied effort is ideal for drinking over the next 7-8 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is another estate that has experienced a dramatic increase in quality since being acquired by Bernard Magrez. Moreover, since it is a large estate (180 acres), the wines tend to sell at a reasonable price ... good news for consumers. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2003 offers both complexity and pleasure. Already sensual and evolved, it reveals soft, sexy notes of plums, figs, black currants, pain grille, and earth. Although full-bodied, opulent, pure, and rich, it appears to be on a fast evolutionary track, so consumption over the next decade is recommended.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr Vintner’s Left Bank tasting. This has fine delineation on the nose with crisp black fruit, minerals, cedar wood and a touch of raspberry coulis. The palate is medium-bodied, slightly chewy on the entry but good acidity and depth, gentle but insistent tannic grip with a long blackberry, boysenberry and cedar finish. Finely crafted. Tasted October 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2003, which has put on considerable weight, fat, and intensity since I tasted it last year, represents one of the finest efforts from the southern part of the Medoc, a notoriously irregular area because of the heat and drought of 2003. Dense purple in color with a sweet nose of smoke, blackberries, cassis, flowers, and subtle new oak, it exhibits opulent richness, low acidity, and full body. It is a big wine for La Tour Carnet, but beautifully balanced and relatively seamless even at this early stage. This wine has really come on strong and looks to be not only a sleeper of the vintage but a candidate for an outstanding score. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2019.
About the Producer
The history of Château La Tour Carnet dates back to the 12th century. Indeed, this vast vineyard of 132 hectares is undoubtedly one of the oldest domains of the Medoc. Its architecture is purely medieval as evidenced by the tower, surrounded by moats, which was built in 1120. The domain takes its name from the valiant squire Carnet having fought alongside the lord Jean de Fait: his self-denial and his bravery were such that he received the property in inheritance. Subsequently, the estate belonged to illustrious owners, including the Montaigne family. Since the 2000s, Château La Tour Carnet has been taken over by Bernard Magrez, who has started a restoration and renovation program. Located in the heart of the Medoc, the property has a unique and exceptional terroir, called the “Butte de la Tour Carnet”. It is a visual curiosity but also geological since it is the only clay-limestone mound of the Medoc. The White of La Tour Carnet is one of the rare white wine produced in the Médoc. The estate also produces a white wine. Located in the heart of the Médoc, the property has a unique and exceptional terroir, called the “Butte de la Tour Carnet”. It is a visual curiosity but also geological since it is the only clay-limestone mound of the Medoc. The quality of Château La Tour Carnet’s wines is link to the quality of its terroir of Garonne and Pyrenean gravel. On this type of soil the Merlots flourish particularly well, which explains why half of the Château La Tour Carnet grape varieties are in Merlot. The dominant of this grape gives the wines of the property, a beautiful fruit, flexibility and allows to address them in their youth. During the vinification, the Château team seeks harmony between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in order to have gourmet wines. Thus, the entire harvest is harvested by hand and then vinified in concrete vats for Merlot and in wooden vats for Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging is done in barrels, 50% new, for 18 months to coat and enhance the fruit. Château La Tour Carnet is a wine of great elegance, it is a great Médoc.
