Winemaker Notes
A beautiful, radiant, dark red color. Th e fresh fruit aromas lead the way, with a touch of vanilla to complexity the bouquet. Th e attack is clean, precise and velvety on the palate; the balance and length of this wine, that lingers deliciously, are remarkable.
Blend: 54% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
The 2021 La Tour Carnet is a beautiful, expressive wine. Lifted aromatics convey freshness in a mid-weight Tour Carnet that is all class. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, white pepper, rose petal and blood orange give this effusive Haut-Médoc tons of charm. This is one of the hidden gems of the year. –Antonio Galloni
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Decanter
A bit dry and sombre, nice structure with just grippy tannins, but missing some more acidity. Feels calm and controlled, a nice balance all the way through, with minerality on the finish. A little quite still, just shy in terms of energy and life.
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James Suckling
Fresh aromas of currants, berries, graphite, roasted red peppers and mineral. This is fresh and linear with medium body and plenty of fine-grained tannins. From a lighter vintage, this delivers the juiciness of the year.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 La Tour Carnet shows promise, exhibiting aromas of cherries and blackberries mingled with loamy soil and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and generous, with lively acids and chalky grip, it's often among my favorites of the Magrez portfolio, and that's the case this year. Barrel Sample: 89 - 91
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.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.