Chateau la Tour Carnet
"The uncompromising pursuit of excellence has always been the watchword of this wonderful adventure and the pleasure that is mine: producing Great Wines and beautiful emotions."
– Bernard Magrez.
Bernard Magrez is the story of a passionate, self-taught visionary who resolved from the very beginning to never give up. Beginning in adversity at 13, he worked his way from a vocational apprenticeship to the heights of the Bordeaux wine world, building a spirits empire along the way, with William Peel Scotch Whisky rising to become the undisputed leader in France.
In the 1980s, he returned to his true passion, acquiring his first Cru Classé, Château Pape Clément, the first of what would become four prestigious Grands Crus Classés and 42 vineyards across 9 countries.
Château La Tour Carnet is one of the oldest properties in the Médoc, its tower dating back to 1120. It has passed through many hands throughout its long history, first known as Château de St Laurent. The estate survived the Hundred Years' War under the House of Foix, subservient to the King of England, before passing to Thibault de Camin in the 16th century, husband of Léonor d'Eyquem, sister of the writer Michel de Montaigne, who frequented the estate during their residency.
It was spared during the French Revolution due to its association with a Swede named Jérôme de Luetkens, whose descendants, by then French, were partly responsible for the Château's classification as a 4th Grand Cru Classé in 1855.
At the turn of the millennium, Bernard Magrez acquired the Château from Madame Pellegrin, who could no longer care for it following a personal tragedy that had begun to affect the estate's quality, harvests, and reputation. Magrez moved quickly to restore the Château, restructure the vineyard, paying particular attention to matching grape varieties and rootstocks to the terroir, and redesign the cellar.
From 2015, through his Research and Development department, Magrez established at Château La Tour Carnet a unique scientific collection of 75 grape varieties, dedicated to studying the effects of global warming on grape maturity and ripening. The Château has since embraced wine tourism, with two medieval suites, a shop for visits and tastings, and dining rooms available for receptions and weddings. The barrel cellars have been fully renovated to honor the property's exceptional historical heritage.
BERNARD MAGREZ - CHATEAU PAPE CLEMENT - CLOS HAUT-PEYRAGUEY - CHATEAU FOMBRAUGE