Château La Tour Carnet Red 2016

Grand Cru Classé in 1855, Haut-Médoc

"Bernard Magrez's 2016 Tour Carnet is ripe, open and seductive. Very ripe black cherry, plum, licorice, wood smoke and tobacco are all beautifully defined in the glass. A wine of remarkable inner perfume, sweetness and subtlety, Tour Carnet 2016 has all the elements to develop into an excellent over-achiever. The soft, silky tannins add considerably to the wine's sensuality. This is the first vintage made in the new winery, where smaller tanks have enabled separate vinification of several cuvées. The reduction in new wood is another major plus point here. Bernard Magrez produces several exceptional wines. La Tour Carnet is one of my favorites because of its affordability and the way it ages in bottle. Tasted twice."

Antonio Galloni

Features

Location: Saint-Laurent Médoc
2016 blend: 60% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
Age of vines: 31 years
Planting density: 8,000 to 10,000 vines/ha

Tasting

Château La Tour Carnet Rouge 2016 has a deep, intense color. On the nose, it reveals seductive aromas of ripe black fruits such as black cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant, with spicy notes of licorice and black pepper. On the palate, this wine is generous, with a velvety texture and well-integrated tannins. Black fruit flavors are enhanced by hints of vanilla, cedar and tobacco from oak aging. The finish is long and persistent, leaving an impression of freshness and purity. Château La Tour Carnet Rouge 2016 is a well-balanced, elegant and promising wine, with good ageing potential.

Food & wine pairing

Red meat, grilled or in sauce
Ripened cheeses
Mediterranean cuisine

Conservation

2026/2036

Product from a High Environmental Value farm

Ratings & Awards

94/100
WINE ENTHUSIAST
93/100
Neal Martin

94/100

WINE ENTHUSIAST

"This is a rich wine, full of tannins that contrast with fresh acidity and blackcurrant fruit. This is a solid wine designed for aging."

93/100

Neal Martin

"The 2016 La Tour Carnet is a blend of 60% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc harvested between October 4 and 21. Aged in 30% new oak barrels, it shows more freshness and precision than the Château des Grands Chênes I tasted at the same time, with notes of blue fruit and floral perfumes giving it a personality reminiscent of Margaux wines. On the palate, the entry is smooth and velvety with fine tannins, lush and precocious yet retaining a lovely freshness and precision on the finish. The texture is almost irresistible. This is an excellent wine, but will it surpass the 2015 vintage?"

Winegrowing singularities

Wine Singularities

Climate

Age of vines: 31 years
Soil type: Highly calcareous clay bedrock covered by a thick layer of Gunzian gravel.
Vineyard driving mode:
- Precision viticulture
- 1st leaf-thinning: mid-July on the east side
- 2nd leaf-thinning: mid-August, sunset side
- Hand-picked in crates

Pôle d'étude d'adaptation des cépages au réchauffement climatique.
Vinification :
- 1st sorting in the vineyard.
- Manual sorting on a vibrating table, followed by destemming with a Pellenc WINERY.
- Densimetric sorting
- Harvest cooling using a cryogenic tunnel (liquid nitrogen spraying)
- Gravity vatting using a cuvon
- Vinification in wooden vats and small-capacity cement vats
- Cold pre-fermentation maceration (8°C)
- Entirely manual punching down.
- Alcoholic fermentation at low temperature (28°C)
- Maceration time 25 to 32 days
- Aged in barrels for 16 months, including 30% new barrels

Consulting oenologists: Michel Rolland

The 2016 vintage in the Haut-Médoc appellation was marked by favorable weather conditions that contributed to the production of high-quality red wines. The winter was relatively mild, favoring optimal vegetative rest for the vines, and the spring that followed was warm and dry, enabling early, even flowering.

Overall, the 2016 vintage stands out for red wines with a beautiful concentration of fruit, well-integrated tannins and an elegant structure. Despite the weather challenges encountered, Haut-Médoc winemakers have demonstrated their expertise by adapting their viticultural practices to produce wines of superior quality. This vintage offers wine lovers a rich and complex taste experience, testifying to the exceptional terroir of the Haut-Médoc appellation and the expertise of the region's winemakers.