The property
Château Carbonnieux was founded in the 13th century by the Benedictines of the Abbey of Sainte-Croix. Château Carbonnieux is located in the Pessac-Léognan appellation and is one of the oldest châteaux in Bordeaux. In 1956, Marc Perrin acquired the château which became a classified growth in 1959 in red and white.
The vineyard
The vineyard of Château Carbonnieux is divided into 119 distinct plots spread over a mosaic of soils ranging from clay-limestone to Günzian gravel. The 59 hectares dedicated to red grape varieties are, like the entire vineyard, labelled with the High Environmental Value level 3. The vineyard is managed on a parcel-by-parcel basis and is run using sustainable agriculture.
The vintage
Mild and rainy, the autumn-winter of 2019-2020 favors an early budburst with 10-15 days in advance. The homogeneous flowering preceded a rapid and regular fruit set without coulure or millerandage. The veraison started early around July 20 and was very homogeneous. Despite the low rainfall between June 17 and September 21, the vineyard resisted the hydric stress. The harvest started early and the grapes were fully ripe and of good sanitary quality. If the yields are low, as a consequence of the climatic conditions, the juices are concentrated and the skins are thick, revealing a tannic structure that is present but not excessive.
This 2020 vintage also marks many innovations within the property, such as the extension of the areas cultivated in Organic Agriculture, the generalization of the work of the grounds in order to support a durable rooting then finally the development of the wine making parcel of a great precision.
Vinification and maturation
Harvested by hand, the grapes are sorted on the vine and then before and after de-stemming. Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats precedes a 15 to 18 month maturation in Bordeaux barrels, 40% of which are new.
Blending
Château Carbonnieux red 2020 is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (60%), merlot (30%), cabernet franc (5%), petit verdot (5%).