Alcohol: 13.5%
Grape(s): 60% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Localization: Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France
Tasting Notes: The attack on the palate is delicate, silky, and smooth. The mid-palate is full-bodied, structured, and concentrated. The pleasure rises to a crescendo throughout the tasting and lingers remarkably long on the palate.
Notes: Chateau Carbonnieux red has, for centuries, been a classic from the Bordeaux region. With its high quality, it is the smooth result of an excellent blend of grape varieties from this region. The vinification, both modern and traditional, of red wines is carried out by slow and gentle extraction in order to preserve the roundness of the wine and the mineral features of the soil. The tannins are well-balanced and silky, in harmony with red fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, cherry…), and reveal toasted notes from aging in the finest-quality French oak barrels. Only the very best batches tasted are selected for the final blending of Chateau Carbonnieux red wines.
Food Pairing: All grilled, roasted, or stewed meat, swordfish, tuna fish, cheese, and chocolate desserts
The Domain: The history of Carbonnieux dates back a very long time, and records show that wine was produced there at least as early as the 12th century. Benedictine monks from Sainte-Croix abbey in Bordeaux replanted and renovated the estate in the 18th century. They took advantage of the exceptionally pale, clear color of the white wine to label it as "Carbonnieux mineral water", which they then proceeded to ship to the sultan of Turkey.
Marc Perrin acquired and restored the chateau in 1956. His son, Antony, currently manages the estate. The gravelly soil at Carbonnieux is perfectly drained thanks to the Eau Blanche stream that carries away any excess water. The 85 hectares of vines are evenly divided between red and white wine varieties. The white wine is fermented and aged in barrel for 10 months. The red wine is aged for 15 to 18 months in barrel, depending on the quality and characteristics of the vintage.
