Château La Tour Carnet 2022

Blackcurrant, herbs, black cherry, liquorice, floral notes; approachable palate, delicate fruit, ripe tannins, spicy finish. Has developed well and is less marked by oak than before.

Dark currant and bitter plum coulis notes carry good energy, with savory, cedar and licorice root accents filling in through the slightly burly finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2031. 81,667 cases made.

Bold and forward, this surges with power and juicy acidity giving a really dynamic and lively profile but with a dark, spiced core. Bright strawberries meet sticky liquorice, espresso, cocoa and an almost bitter orange element on the finish. There's minerality too in the wet stone, blood iron and graphite grip that takes hold towards the end. I like the styling and the fact the wine hasn't been pushed too far in a year where that would have been easy. It has heft but also a hint of classicism.

Tasted blind. Shaded crimson. Sweet and simple but without the harsh, drying tannins of some grander wines. (JR)

The 2022 La Tour Carnet is a potent, brooding wine. A rush of dark red fruit, iron, white pepper, leather and licorice stains the palate. This driving, persistent Haut-Médoc has a lot to recommend it. The 2022 is complex and wonderfully dynamic in the glass, qualities that will allow it to age gracefully for many years to come.

A touch of cocoa adds the perfect layer of complexity to all the sweet, ripe blackberries, black cherries, and espresso on the nose and on the lush, round, forward, fruity palate. The wine blends 59% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc. You can enjoy this on release. Drink from 2025–2040.

Deep dark ruby garnet colour with an opaque core and purple reflections, delicate brightening at the rim. Subtle nuances of noble oak, some chocolate, dark wild berries, discreet herbal savouriness in the background. Juicy, ripe cherries, pleasant fruit sweetness, fresh acidity, nougat on the finish, a versatile food wine that will soon be accessible.

Black cherries, smoky tobacco, and spicy oak notes all emerge from the 2022 Château La Tour Carnet, a rocking little Haut-Médoc that has medium- to full-bodied richness, velvety tannins, and outstanding length. It’s great today and will be great in a decade or more.

Concentrated black-berry bouquet, dark noble wood, Brazilian tobacco and licorice. On the very straight palate, with a tightly knit tannic framework, the sinewy body groans under the muscular load. In the focused finish, the Haut-Médoc slims down, plum skin, refined cassis spice and finely crumbly astringency. Potential rating

Bernard Magrez, owner of this estate with a history dating back to 1112, has now expanded it to over 200ha. On this showing, they are handling the extra fruit smartly, as it retains confidence and grip, with plenty of liquorice and cocoa bean spice, oyster-shell salinity on the finish, and tannins that are still tight at this point and need longer in bottle.

Airy nose carried by blue fruits. On the palate, a fluid, supple texture with well-present tannins.

An intense, inviting bouquet marked by notes of graphite, blackcurrant and sweet spices, complemented by elegant woody nuances. Slightly suave on the attack, the wine shows good density and is supported by supple, perfectly integrated tannins that bring breadth and energy. It needs a little time to unfold, but the outlook is promising. A gourmand, sapid wine.

Once again, La Tour Carnet presents itself in an intense, heady register. Beneath the toasty notes from the ageing, hints of noble vegetal tones emerge. The palate unfolds spherically, round and expansive, punctuated by tingling tannins and carried by a backdrop of licorice. This is serious stuff.

92-94 Barrel sample. This classed growth estate just outside Saint-Julien produces a rich, dense wine. Its concentration and black fruits combine with acidity and a solid structure that will age well.