CHÂTEAU LA TOUR CARNET
2018 4ème Cru Classé Haut Médoc
Blueberries, plums and blackberries, as well as herbal notes. It’s medium-to full-bodied with solid, tight tannins. Fine texture with pleasant acidity and a nice grain. Blackcurrant and light tar in the aftertaste. Try after 2024. Rating: 92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
In the running for one of the best Haut-Médocs out there, the 2018 Château La Tour Carnet sports a deep purple color as well as an already complex bouquet of spicy red and black fruits, tobacco, new leather, and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, impeccably balanced, and with fine tannins that frame the finish beautifully, it’s going to be a smoking value to buy by the case. Rating: 90-92 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)
Black with purple rim. Pure cassis on the nose, just a touch charry. Chewy but fresh and some freshness on the finish. The tannins are compact but they are balanced by the fruit core. Drinking range: 2024 - 2030 Rating: 15.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 la Tour Carnet features notes of warm black cherries, dark chocolate, star anise and garrigue over a core of blackcurrant cordial, black raspberries and black tea. Medium to full-bodied with a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins, it has a muscular mid-palate and a refreshing herbal lift on the finish. Rating: 90-92 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
Love the freshness and vibrance of this vintage for La Tour Carnet. Lots of blackcurrants and blackberries, as well as stones. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Shows tension and resilience. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
The blend here is 60% Merlot, picked from September 25th to October 10th, and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon picked from October 5th to the 15th. There is a wealth of dark and supremely ripe fruits on the nose of this barrel sample, with notes of smoky black cherry, black bean, praline and black pepper. The palate is showing a broad substance and a confident structure, with a rich bed of grippy and ripe tannins. Undeniably rich in its composition, very modern, but with a well-judged substance framed by polished and tightly knit tannins, and fresh acids too. And it is all lifted by fresh blackcurrant flower, peony and rose petal character. There is a huge grip in the finish, but the wine handles it well. It should develop very nicely. This has to be the best La Tour Carnet I recall tasting. The élevage will b will be in 30% new oak, for 16 months. Rating: 94-96 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
This is an elegant wine that displays attractive black currant and berry flavors. The fruit tones are sustained by the firm tannins and bright acidity, giving the wine fine aging potential. Rating: 92 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)
Château La Tour Carnet
Chateau La Tour Carnet, owned by Bernard Magrez is one of the oldest Bordeaux wine producers in the appellation. In fact, some parts of the building, specifically the round tower, date all the way back to the 11th Century. The fortress was inhabited by the English as early as the 12th Century. It was an important fort that was used by the military. Originally, it went under the name of Chateau de Saint-Laurent. The land eventually fell to French rule. After centuries of war, the ruined property passed through the hands of a succession of owners, before coming to Thibault de Carmaing in the 16th Century and eventually to Charles de Leutken. The Bordeaux wine estate remained with his descendents. During the 1855 classification, the estate was under the direction of Angélique Raymond. The current owner is Bernard Magrez, who is the proprietor of a number of other Bordeaux estates, most notably Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan. He also owns Fombrauge in St. Emilon. Chateau La Tour Carnet is one of the top producers in Haut Medoc and lesser appellations area today.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.