Chateau La Tour Carnet (Chateau La Tour Carnet)

Robert Parker 2/2012:  92 Punkte

This dense purple wine displays notes of charcoal, subtle toast and white chocolate as well as blueberry and blackberry liqueur intermixed with hints of graphite and licorice. Dense, full-bodied, unctuously textured, and quite long and thick, this concentrated, impressively endowed wine is silky-textured and already accessible. However, I suspect its best days are at least 5-7 years ahead of it. It should keep for a minimum of two decades.

One of the few classified growths in the southern end of the Medoc south of Margaux, La Tour Carnet has been owned for a number of years by Bernard Magrez. It is one of the most picturesque chateaux in Bordeaux, dating from the 12th century, with real towers and a Camelot-style moat surrounding it. A large estate, they have been making top-flight wines for well over a decade, yet the prices remain very realistic for a classified growth Bordeaux. The 2009, which boasts Michel Rolland as the consultant, was a final blend of 62% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest tiny dollops of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.