Château La Tour Carnet 2019

This has a good burst of dark plum and blackberry preserve flavors, along with a solid dose of roasted vanilla and tobacco. Ends with a graphite hint for support. Well done. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030. 68,500 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.

Ripe and expressive on the nose, with such lovely purity. Good drive and initial impact of fruit on the palate, then the spice kicks in and the fruit character drops a little. I love the perfumed cherry at the start before it settles and turns a touch more sombre at this point. The minerality comes through, giving quite a taut and clean feel on the palate, with freshness lifting the finish. Definitely a less extracted, more refined style. Attractive.

A solid Haut-Médoc with currant and walnut character and some dried mushroom. It’s full-bodied with medium, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Well done. Drink after 2024.

65% Merlot, 33.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc. Black core. Rich aroma of black fruit, damson sweetness as well as cassis. Lacks flesh in the middle so although it is fresh, it is also rather lean. (JH)

The 2019 La Tour Carnet has turned out beautifully. Dark, pliant and super-expressive, the 2019 possesses tremendous richness as well as character. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, leather, spice, licorice, iron and dried herbs infuse the 2019 with gorgeous layers of dimension. La Tour Carnet is a consistently outstanding bottle, as it is again in 2019.

Espresso, blackberries, smoke, licorice and cocoa open the wine. Here you find a full-bodied wine with polished tannins and layers of round-textured fruits giving way to a supple finish packed with fruit and a touch of oak. The wine is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot. Drink from 2024-2039.

Dark ruby-garnet, purple reflections, broad rim brightening. Delicate roasted aromas, a hint of nougat, pleasant blackberry confit. Elegant and balanced, pleasant sweetness, round tannins, mineral, firm finish, a hint of chocolate on the finish, will benefit from bottle ageing.

Fine purity with layers of unctuous dark fruit like cassis, cherry and plum with some new oak and tobacco leaf. Dense and muscular palate, high extraction, but already rather rounded with a fine dose of freshness, fine length and ageability.

The 2019 Château La Tour Carnet is terrific, with a pure, medium- to full-bodied, nicely concentrated style as well as impressive cassis, tobacco, spicy wood, and graphite aromas and flavors. The purity here is spot on, and it has ripe, polished tannins, outstanding balance, and a great finish.

What a black color—this is the darkest purple of the day. Complex bouquet with hints of wild cherries and sloe juice, followed by Brazilian tobacco and olive paste. On the firm palate, a massive tannic frame and biting vigor—this is wildly overdone; my tongue is buried under a tannin avalanche and gasping for air! In the encapsulated finish, small black berries and a touch of verbena. Will the wine ever shoulder this tremendous load? I think not—rounded up.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon) Deep, concentrated, dark bouquet with black berries, black cherries, licorice, coal. Powerful, aromatic, heavily extracted palate with dark fruit, muscular structure, fine-sandy tannins, intense aromatics, long, firm, dense finish. Still has room to improve.

(50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon) Deep, concentrated, dark bouquet, black berries, black cherries, liquorice, charcoal. Powerful, aromatic, strongly extracted palate with dark fruit, a muscular structure, fine sandy tannins, intense aromatics, and a long, firm, dense finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2026 - 2045

Dark plum in colour, ruby reflections. Good depth to the fruit, alongside cedar, pepper and cinnamon spice. The tannins are in evidence, holding the savoury blueberry, cassis and raspberry fruit in place. This is restrained, with a powerful structure that is confident rather than exuberant. Bernard Magrez is overseeing an estate in full expansion, not just in size (176ha) but also in quality. Michel Rolland is the consultant. Harvest September 21 to October 10. 33% new oak.

La Tour Carnet 2019 has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It opens with spicy notes of clove oil and cinnamon stick, leading to a core of redcurrant jelly and black raspberries, plus a hint of fallen leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is bright and breezy with lively red berry flavors and soft, well-managed tannins, finishing perfumed.

A generous nose of ripe, enticing black berries, with a touch of graphite. The palate is lively and energetic, revealing intense notes of just-ripened wild berries.

Inviting bouquet, revealing notes of dark berries, licorice, and élevage. The palate is gourmand and suave. The wine is balanced, seductive, and shows density.

Dark, intense, and vibrant color. Nose of medium intensity with fresh fruit. Delicate on the attack, flavorful mid-palate, with a silky body and a slight liveliness on the palate; the wine finishes well-structured and long, with a light austere touch that will integrate.