France · Bordeaux

Chateau La Tour Carnet

Château La Tour Carnet is a 4ème Cru Classé estate in Haut-Médoc, situated in Saint-Laurent-Médoc south of Pauillac, with a history tracing to the 14th century — one of Bordeaux's oldest continuously inhabited properties. The estate passed through multiple owners before Bernard Magrez, the Bordeaux négociant and owner of Pape Clément, acquired it in 1999 and undertook substantial investment in vineyard replanting and cellar renovation. The vineyard covers approximately 56 hectares, planted to roughly 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot — an unusually high Merlot percentage for a Médoc estate, reflecting heavier clay soils closer to the Gironde. At auction, the wine trades at an average of $66 per bottle across 170 lots, with prices ranging from modest entry-level vintages to peaks driven by the Magrez-era improvements post-1999. The estate does not command the prestige premium of peers in Pauillac or Saint-Julien, positioning it as a value-oriented classified growth. Buyers at auction tend to target mature vintages from 2005, 2009, and 2010 — years where the ripeness levels suit the Merlot-dominant blend. The property also produces a second wine, Les Douves de La Tour Carnet. Despite being geographically distant from the Médoc's highest-value terroirs, Magrez's quality push since 1999 has raised the estate's reputation among Right Bank–style Médoc drinkers.