Chateau Carbonnieux – Pessac-Leognan Blanc – 2019

The vineyards of Château Carbonnieux, in the superior Pessac-Léognan appellation, in the Graves region of Bordeaux, can trace its history back to the 13th century, but the history of the modern Carbonnieux dates from the 1950s, when Marc Perrin acquired the estate. A complete fresh start was made at this time when the harsh winter of 1956 wiped out the remaining vines in what were by that time rather unkempt vineyards. The new plantings were laid out to the plan perfected in the 18th century when the Château was at its peak. Since the 1980s Carbonnieux has been producing excellent red and white wines, in the classic Pessac- Léognan style. The whites are made from roughly two thirds Sauvignon Blanc and one third Sémillon and the reds from two thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one third Merlot. The whites are barrel-fermented and spend 10 further months in the barrel on the lees, one third of which are new, each year. The reds spend 18 months in barrel that are also one third new.