Tour Carnet 2010

Haut Medoc, Fourth Growth

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Tasting Notes
The 2010 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It has a light, slightly leafy bouquet with a touch of mint and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with soft opening. There are light ripe red berry fruit but it is missing a little structure towards the finish. Still, there is plenty of brambly red fruit to be enjoyed here and I suspect it will improve in bottle. Score: 90 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 March 2013
A blend of 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot cropped at 45hl/ha, this has a well defined, rounded bouquet with blackberry, raspberry coulis and a touch of ripe figs. Very focused and poised. The palate has a pleasant grippy entry, quite bold tannins but very well balanced and the finish is very focused and Pauillac in style, hints of graphite towards the finish. Very fine. Tasted April 2011. Score: 92 - 94 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 26 April 2011
Probably La Tour Carnet’s best since their 2001, the 2010 La Tour Carnet exhibits wonderful ripeness, a dense ruby/purple color, notes of licorice, camphor and some toast as well as lots of black currant and blueberry fruit. It is medium to full-bodied, with attractive sweetness of tannin, good acidity, excellent delineation to its component parts, and a full-bodied, impressively long finish. This wine may close down somewhat, given the moderate tannins, but it seems relatively accessible despite being a 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035. Another spectacular effort from proprietor Bernard Magrez, this Haut Medoc was harvested very late in 2010. The final blend is 60% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest a small amount of Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Score: 93 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2018-2035 01 February 2013
From their 180 acres, this large estate fashioned a blend of 53% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and small quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvested over a three week period (September 29 - October 17), it is a big, tannic, nearly over-sized wine boasting a dense purple color along with notes of graphite, blueberries, black raspberries and spring flowers. Great fruit on the attack, a powerful, full-bodied mouthfeel and an unusually masculine, muscular style suggest this 2010 will require patience, but it could turn out to be one of the finest La Tour Carnets ever produced. Score: 92 - 94 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 04 May 2011
Opaque inky-ruby. Floral, fruity nose offers dark plum, cassis, licorice and tar. Then soft and supple on the palate, with rich flavors of blackcurrant jelly, black cherry syrup, tar, underbrush, and a lingering balsamic coffee note. The satisfying finish shows youthfully chewy tannins and good length. This very promising wine from Bernard Magrez struck me as less oaky and more gently extracted than many of his wines from previous years. Score: 87 - 90 Ian D'Agata, International Wine Cellar 01 May 2011
Intense with complex spices and aromas. Incredibly rich and porty with cloves and masses of vanilla oak running through. Fresh but tannins a little drying on the end. Modern but undoubtedly several steps up from what used to be made here. Score: 90 - 92 Albany Vintners, - 27 April 2011
Quite high volatility. Very fresh fruit in a light sandpaper corset at the moment. This will never be sweet and all-enveloping but it should make a fine luncheon claret(!) Score: 16 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2015-2021 13 April 2011
Deeply-extracted cassis fruit, slightly leathery and firm concentration and depth, a bit four-square at the moment, but lots of stuffing for the future. Score: 17 Decanter, Decanter.com Maturity: 2018-2030 01 April 2011
This has good grip from the start, with a graphite underpinning to the dark plum sauce, linzer torte and black currant fruit. The finish is long and well-structured. Very solid. Score: 89 - 92 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 31 March 2011

Tasting Notes

The 2010 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It has a light, slightly leafy bouquet with a touch of mint and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with soft opening. There are light ripe red berry fruit but it is missing a little structure towards the finish. Still, there is plenty of brambly red fruit to be enjoyed here and I suspect it will improve in bottle.

Score: 90

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 March 2013

A blend of 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot cropped at 45hl/ha, this has a well defined, rounded bouquet with blackberry, raspberry coulis and a touch of ripe figs. Very focused and poised. The palate has a pleasant grippy entry, quite bold tannins but very well balanced and the finish is very focused and Pauillac in style, hints of graphite towards the finish. Very fine. Tasted April 2011.

Score: 92 - 94

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 26 April 2011

Probably La Tour Carnet’s best since their 2001, the 2010 La Tour Carnet exhibits wonderful ripeness, a dense ruby/purple color, notes of licorice, camphor and some toast as well as lots of black currant and blueberry fruit. It is medium to full-bodied, with attractive sweetness of tannin, good acidity, excellent delineation to its component parts, and a full-bodied, impressively long finish. This wine may close down somewhat, given the moderate tannins, but it seems relatively accessible despite being a 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035. Another spectacular effort from proprietor Bernard Magrez, this Haut Medoc was harvested very late in 2010. The final blend is 60% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest a small amount of Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

Score: 93

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2018-2035 01 February 2013

From their 180 acres, this large estate fashioned a blend of 53% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and small quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvested over a three week period (September 29 - October 17), it is a big, tannic, nearly over-sized wine boasting a dense purple color along with notes of graphite, blueberries, black raspberries and spring flowers. Great fruit on the attack, a powerful, full-bodied mouthfeel and an unusually masculine, muscular style suggest this 2010 will require patience, but it could turn out to be one of the finest La Tour Carnets ever produced.

Score: 92 - 94

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 04 May 2011

Opaque inky-ruby. Floral, fruity nose offers dark plum, cassis, licorice and tar. Then soft and supple on the palate, with rich flavors of blackcurrant jelly, black cherry syrup, tar, underbrush, and a lingering balsamic coffee note. The satisfying finish shows youthfully chewy tannins and good length. This very promising wine from Bernard Magrez struck me as less oaky and more gently extracted than many of his wines from previous years.

Score: 87 - 90

Ian D'Agata, International Wine Cellar 01 May 2011

Intense with complex spices and aromas. Incredibly rich and porty with cloves and masses of vanilla oak running through. Fresh but tannins a little drying on the end. Modern but undoubtedly several steps up from what used to be made here.

Score: 90 - 92

Albany Vintners, - 27 April 2011

Quite high volatility. Very fresh fruit in a light sandpaper corset at the moment. This will never be sweet and all-enveloping but it should make a fine luncheon claret(!)

Score: 16

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2015-2021 13 April 2011

Deeply-extracted cassis fruit, slightly leathery and firm concentration and depth, a bit four-square at the moment, but lots of stuffing for the future.

Score: 17

Decanter, Decanter.com Maturity: 2018-2030 01 April 2011

This has good grip from the start, with a graphite underpinning to the dark plum sauce, linzer torte and black currant fruit. The finish is long and well-structured. Very solid.

Score: 89 - 92

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 31 March 2011

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