Château Carbonnieux 2024

Reductive nose, cherries, blueberries; taut palate, slightly sticky tannins supporting the fruit, juicy acidity, medium length. Solid, if not great.

Medium-deep ruby-purple in appearance. Expressive floral nose with pencil shavings, noble wood and bright cassis. The palate is fresh and precise, with juicy red fruit, hints of tobacco and citrus zest. Fine-grained, polished tannins support a harmonious structure. Already delightful, but built to age gracefully. 5% of Petit Verdot completes the blend.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Attractive spice and dark-fruit nose. Supple attack. Light but present mid-palate fruit. Reasonable length and persistence. (JL)

Like shimmering garnet satin, the nose reveals gentle notes of ripe red fruits (raspberry, cranberry) that fade and play hide-and-seek with floral aromas, coming and going at their whim. The palate is fresh and tender, with a rather luminous, well-balanced texture.

The nose offers juiciness and concentration, with tangy yet ripe fruits (wild cherry, morello cherry, raspberry, crisp strawberry), a fairly pronounced but not dominant spicy side (licorice, nutmeg, a touch of vanilla), as well as toasted wood and coffee in the background, joined by wild mint, blackcurrant leaf, and cornflower. The palate is tangy (morello cherry, red cherry, cranberries, wild cherry, raspberry), with tasty spicy and toasted notes (licorice, vanilla, toasted hazelnut, a hint of coffee), refreshed by wild mint. The tannins are fine yet quite firm. Good length, juiciness, and delicacy.

Tannins are grippy on the opening, cutting into the raspberry and red cherry fruit. Grilled coffee bean notes and campfire smoke add depth through the mid palate but this is a challenging vintage for such a consistent and impressive wine. 3.6 pH. Harvest 19 September to 8 October. 40 hl/ha. 30% new oak for ageing.