Wine Advisor
La Tour Carnet 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 La Tour Carnet has calmed down a bit since I tasted it in barrel, but it still delivers plenty of punch. Inky dark red fruit, cedar, mint, dried herbs, mocha and pipe tobacco give the 2018 notable complexity. Somber and a bit brooding, the 2018 is going to need a few years to be at its best, which is always the case here. Bernard Magrez makes a wide range of compelling wines. La Tour Carnet is one of his finest.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 La Tour Carnet is fabulous. Bold, punchy and alluring in its beauty La Tour Carnet is wonderfully expressive, even in the early going. Cedar, tobacco, mint, dried flowers and licorice add layers of nuance to this deep, sumptuous Haut-Médoc from Bernard Magrez. The 2018 speaks with a dark, baritone voice that is undeniably alluring. But most importantly, the La Tour Carnet is shaping up to be one of best values in Bordeaux in 2018. I can't think of too many other wines that offer this much quality for the money. In 2018, the blend is 60% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. Tasted four times.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 La Tour Carnet is not quite as overripe as I feared on the nose, though I have still tasted plenty of other vintages that show more delineation. It turns very earthy with aeration and over several hours of opening, if anything, closes up instead of opens. The palate is medium-bodied with dense, grippy tannins. There is adequate freshness here, although some sinew on the finish takes away from its finesse. Give this some bottle age and I suspect it will repay you.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 La Tour Carnet feels a little overripe on the nose at the moment, with confit scents developing in the glass, although a second bottle comes across much fresher and more focused. The grippy palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin and shows more restraint than the aromatics. It feels quite assertive, but the finish does not kick on and deliver the complexity and nuance that I have witnessed in other vintages. I might just prefer the more elegant 2017.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 la Tour Carnet is a little closed and broody to begin, slowly unfurling to offer glimpses at notions of tar, star anise, damp soil and tapenade with a core of stewed plums and boysenberries, plus a waft of cassis. The medium-bodied palate has lovely freshness and bags of savory-laced black fruits framed by rounded tannins, finishing with a lively lift.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 la Tour Carnet features notes of warm black cherries, dark chocolate, star anise and garrigue over a core of blackcurrant cordial, black raspberries and black tea. Medium to full-bodied with a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins, it has a muscular mid-palate and a refreshing herbal lift on the finish.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Love the freshness and vibrance of this vintage for La Tour Carnet. Lots of blackcurrants and blackberries, as well as stones. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Shows tension and resilience.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Blueberries, plums and blackberries, as well as herbal notes. It’s medium-to full-bodied with solid, tight tannins. Fine texture with pleasant acidity and a nice grain. Blackcurrant and light tar in the aftertaste. Try after 2024.
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.
