Winemaker Notes
Fine deep crimson color. The nose is marked by aromas of grilled spices, sap and ripe fruit. When the wine is swirled, the terroir expresses the mineral and smoky fragrances distinctive of the personality of Léognan wines.
Bold, vibrant and crisp initial taste, for this heat-wave vintage. The wine is firm, dominated by full-bodied and mellow tannins that do not mask the fruit. Fine harmony between the crispness of the fruity aromas and the tannic strength.
Food and wine pairing: Red meat and game. Our suggestion: Guinea fowl with red fruit.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Carbonnieux's elegant offerings frequently remind me of a high-class Burgundy more than a classic Graves. The 2003 reveals smoky, black cherry, and herb characteristics, a soft, plush texture, projected, open-knit aromatics, sweet tannin, and a long, broad finish. Enjoy it over the next 12-15 years
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.