Chateau Carbonnieux, 2003

Item No.: 13

Region:: Bordeaux
Type:: White
Category:: Pessac Leognan
Manufacturer:: Chateau Carbonnieux
Vintage:: 2003
Alcohol Volume:: 13%
Color:: White
Unit Size:: 750 ml,
Price:: € 65.00

Chateau Carbonnieux

Unlike the chateaux of the more northerly Médoc, which are built largely on lands drained by the Dutch engineers just a few centuries ago, those in Graves have a much lengthier history. Chateau Carbonnieux was constructed in the late 14th Century, at the time of the Hundred Years' War, and was for a long time in the ownership of the Benedictine monks from the nearby Sainte-Croix Abbey. Incredibly, even at this early stage, there were vines at Carbonnieux, although it is surprising to note that in the centuries that followed the practice of viticulture fell by the wayside, and vines disappeared from the estate. From these monastic hands the property passed into the ownership of the Bordeaux Hospices, and then for two centuries was under the direction of the Ferron family, originally merchants from the parish of Saint-Michel in Bordeaux who went on to become powerful parliamentarians in Guyenne. Their tenure came to a gloomy end, however, when the last member of the family to hold the seat was forced into exile, and the estate was in a sorry state when it was acquired once again by the same Benedictine order from Sainte-Croix in 1741. Once again the monks planted vines, this time securing the estate's role as a vineyard which has persisted through to modern day.

During their tenure the production level increased and the monks marketed the wine in France and even in international markets, and no account of Carbonnieux is complete without the somewhat apocryphal tale of the Sultan of Turkey and the wine. He was said to have developed a taste for Carbonnieux after it had been sold to him under the guise of mineral water, thereby mischievously avoiding any possible conflict with his religious leaning which forbade the consumption of alcohol. Clearly the monks knew a business opportunity when they saw one, but of course it was all irrelevant in the end; with the Revolution at the end of the 18th Century, the property was confiscated and sold off as a bien national, and that was the last Carbonnieux saw of the monks (and vice versa). The chateau and vineyard was acquired by the Bouchereau family, who owned a large estate in the region, and during their management of the property they established a reputation for the quality of the wines, especially the white. The kingpin was Henri-Xavier Bouchereau who died in 1871, subsequent to that the estate passed through numerous owners, beleaguered as it was by phylloxera and oidium. It came to Georges Martin, a local doctor, who was instrumental in the resurrection of the estate by the Société Civile du Carbonnieux, then to Ernest Doutreloux and after him the industrialist Jean-Jacques Chabrat. It was only in 1956 that the present owners, the Perrin family, took ownership of the estate.

Unsurprisingly the property was still in a poor state, the vineyard having shrunk from 60 hectares during the 18th Century to a paltry 29 hectares, and with the infamous frost of 1956 the vines were further decimated. The chateau was in disrepair, having been uninhabited for near forty years, the vineyards were unkempt, with many missing vines having gone unreplaced, and the cellar equipment was in a sorry state as well. One of the family's first actions was to replant, their hand being forced somewhat as the aforementioned frost wreaked havoc in the vineyards. Replanting began in 1957, shortly before the chateau was listed in the Graves classification of 1959, reaching a peak in 1962, proceeding in a scheme matching the layout of the estate during the 18th Century. Slowly the estate's output picked up, but there was little financial reward for the Perrins. It was not until the 1970s that profits were sufficient for the much needed reinvestment; the construction of a new wine making facility, complemented by the addition of a new fermentation area in 1990. The vineyards today cover about 90 hectares of land, the largest vineyard of all the Graves Cru Classés, and Marc's son, Anthony Perrin, has control.

Located just ten miles from Bordeaux near the Garonne, the vineyards at Chateau Carbonnieux are situated on a rise in the land, on gravel-rich soils typical of the area. Near neighbours include Smith-Haut-Lafitte and Haut-Bailly, both to the south. Chateau Carbonnieux is one of the classified Graves chateaux, and produces both red and white cuvées under the Pessac-Léognan appellation. The area under vine is divided roughly equally between white and red varieties, the latter dominating slightly with about 47 hectares, leaving 43 hectares for the white. Average vine age is 26 years for the whites, which are 65% Sauvignon Blanc, 34% Semillon and 1% Muscadelle, whereas the red vines average 32 years of age, these being 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Yields are reduced by a green harvest, although only as a last resort. The white grapes have a pre-fermentation soak, not a very common practice in the production of many white wines, which would more often be pressed with fermentation of the clear juice. After skin contact they are fermented in stainless steel, with indigenous yeasts. The white once saw no wood at all, but now sees up to nine months in barrel, with batonnage to encourage flavour and character from the lees. The reds are fermented under temperature control, at a temperature of about 28°C, up to a maximum of 32°C during maceration which may go on for up to four weeks. The wine then goes into oak barrels for eighteen months where the malolactic fermentation occurs if this has not already taken place in vat, with up to one third new barrels each vintage. Before bottling the wines are fined and filtered, the end result being the grand vin Chateau Carbonnieux - red or white - although many would regard the white (20000 cases) as the more significant and interesting cuvée. My experience of Carbonnieux takes in a number of vintages and whilst I am quite certain that there are more breathtaking wines in the appellation, such as Domaine de Chevalier and Pape-Clément, quality here has remained in the ascendant in recent vintages. Worthy examples can be found in the 2002 and 2004 vintages, as is the case with many white wines from Graves (and elsewhere in France) the 2003 should be avoided, especially if you look for acidity and freshness in your wines. A successful vintage for the region as far as white wines are concerned, 2006 saw many great whites coming out of Graves although the Carbonnieux disappointed and the red (25000 cases), although it never challenges for top wine of the appellation, was superior to the white in terms of absolute quality. This is perhaps somewhat surprising as although it is well made it is usually somewhat simpler than the white; nevertheless it is usually appropriately priced, and again quality has been on the up. There is also a second wine, La Tour Léognan, the introduction of which has also been a marker for the search for better quality.