Built at the end of the 14th century, around 1380, Château Carbonnieux is one of the oldest wines produced in the ancient terroir of Graves, the region where Bordeaux's first vines were planted. The vineyard lies on silica-limestone hilltops overlooking the cool Eau Blanche valley, which crosses the commune of Léognan. Despite the poor state of the vineyard the Perrin family, who already owned vines in Algeria, set their hearts on this property in the 1950s. Ravaged by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century, the property suffered from the chronic over-production crisis that engulfed many of France's wine regions until the end of the 1960s. The dilapidated buildings had not been properly maintained since the First World War. Furthermore, the year following the purchase (1956) brought one of the worst frosts of the century, with temperatures going down to almost -20°C! Marc Perrin undertook to restore the property to its former 17th century splendour. A complete replanting programme was initiated in the vineyard. Both white and red are classified during the Graves wine classification of 1959. It is one of the six chateaux whose both colours are classified. Thelabours began to bear fruit in the early 1980s, under the supervision of Antony Perrin, who took over the reins in 1982. A tremendous visionary, he raised both the red and the white wine to an exceptional level. He also bought other properties in the appellation such as Le Sartre, Tour-Léognan, Bois-Martin, Lafon-Menaut and Haut-Vigneu.

With its storied history, the Château Carbonnieux Blanc has a reputation for charming all who taste it with its crystal-clear colour and distinct aromatic palate. Legend has it, this very wine happened to sit on the table of an Ottoman sultan in the 18th century but was instead called, “Carbonnieux mineral water”. The vines grow on the infamous Garonne gravel and clay-limestone terroir found in Pessac-Léognan and are used to produce the most notable dry white wines in the Bordeaux region. With some difference between vintages, the blend is traditionally 70% Sauvignon and 30% Sémillon. Harvests are, of course, carried out by hand. Fermentation takes place in 25% new barrels or casks. Ageing can last up to ten months in the same containers used for fermentation, with lee stirring occurring periodically to give the wine extra body and texture. On tasting, this wine presents beautiful notes of citrus as well as white flowers. It is pale yellow in colour with green glints in its youth. It is deliciously rich and full-bodied on the palate. We find the same citrus aromas as on the nose alongside notes of roasted hazelnuts. It is a wonderful wine which would benefit from a decade or so of ageing. A perfect match for raw and cooked fish or soft rind cheese.