Winemaker Notes
Château Carbonnieux has for centuries been a great classic from the region of Bordeaux. With its high standard of quality, it is the smooth result of an excellent blending of grape varieties from this region.
The vinification, both modern and traditional of red wines, is carried out by slow and gentle extraction in order to preserve the roundness of the wine and the mineral features of the soil. The tannins are well balanced and silky in harmony with red fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, cherry) and reveal toasted notes from ageing in the finest quality French oak barrels. Only the very best batches tasted are selected for the final blending of Château Carbonnieux red wines.
Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Château Carbonnieux (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) might be the finest I've tasted from this château. Its deep ruby/plum hue is followed by a ripe, seamless Grave revealing ripe black cherry and red plum fruit as well as some smoky tobacco and earthy nuances, medium to full body, a pure, layered mouthfeel, and outstanding length.
-
Decanter
Plump and nicely juice, though quite serious too with the liquorice and clove spiced tannins coming in fairly quickly but they do give the structure and intensity that is so appealing in 2022 still with a sleek frame. Dense and ripe, but still with cool blue fruit and overall refreshing aspects. Just a little knitted down and compact right now but good potential here. The tannins are great, really juicy, powdery and fleshy with some spiced edges on the finish. This is enjoyable.
Barrel Sample: 93 -
James Suckling
The density and mouthfeel to this young Bordeaux are very attractive with velvety tannins that give it a juicy and pretty texture. It’s medium-bodied, showing currants, blackberries, black cherries and hints of chocolate and spice. Delicious finish. Hard not to drink now, but it needs at least three or four years of bottle aging to bring it around to a good spot.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Carbonnieux, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, exudes a complex, attractive bouquet of spices, dark berries, flowers and oak. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and fleshy, it's satiny and ample with structured, youthful tannins and a lovely oaky finish. It remains an excellent Carbonnieux that should age gracefully over the years. Rating:-93+
-
Wine Spectator
Gently steeped dark currant and cherry fruit mixes well with singed tobacco, alder and black tea accents. There's a warm earth echo through the finish, which is fine-grained and focused. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
-
Vinous
The 2022 Carbonnieux is pliant and expressive but also a bit more restrained and lighter in overall texture than it was from barrel. Lifted floral accents keep this agile. The long, sustained finish adds to a feeling of refinement.
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.