Château La Tour Carnet
on the way to Bordeaux 2050
In search of the Grands Crus Classés of tomorrow
Bernard Magrez launches the La Tour Carnet 2050 project, an unprecedented study on climate change to produce the Bordeaux wine of tomorrow.
Owner of 4 Grands Crus Classés among the most prestigious terroirs of Bordeaux and 42 vineyards around the world, Bernard Magrez has launched since 2013 a study on the effects of climate change on viticulture.
The La Tour Carnet 2050 project aims to simulate the impact of global warming on vines and wine by 2050 and to study the adaptation of different grape varieties to new climatic conditions.
Simulate the effects of climate change by 2050
Based on current predictions of global warming, the temperature is expected to increase by 2050 by 2°C to 4°C. A question then arises: will Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc still be the grape varieties best suited to produce Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés? Should we change the way we grow them to preserve the aromatic palette and the unique balance that characterize the great wines of Bordeaux?
The Bordeaux wine region could indeed be confronted with climatic conditions likely to have repercussions on the maturity of the grapes. What will be the impact on the acidity levels, the amount of sugar or the alcohol content? And more generally, will lovers of Grands Crus Classés of Bordeaux be able to enjoy such great years in 2050 as the famous 1961, 1990 or even 2010 and 2020?
Based on the experience of the technical teams and the scientific center of the Bernard Magrez vineyards, a unique system has been developed at Château La Tour Carnet, Grand Cru Classé in 1855, in the Médoc. This system will make it possible from 2022 to generate a warming of the temperatures encountered locally by the vines, accelerating the development cycles of the grapes accordingly.
Developed using state-of-the-art technologies borrowed from the aeronautical industry, the system will make it possible to simulate the effects of climate change by 2050 and thus predict the most suitable grape varieties for the production of high quality wines in the climate of the Bordeaux of tomorrow.
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A collection of 84 grape varieties to adapt to climatic hazards
These technologies will be applied to a plot planted with Bordeaux grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Cabernet Franc, in order to test their adaptation to these new conditions and the possible impacts on the quality of the grapes and wines that will be produced. .
But to go further and face these challenges, the scientific center of the Vignobles Bernard Magrez planted in 2013 a private collection of more than 80 grape varieties, including many old varieties known as “forgotten”. The objective of this plant heritage is to identify the grape varieties "of tomorrow" which could thwart these future climatic hazards while preserving the aromatic signature of the great Bordeaux wines.
The wine of the future: La Tour Carnet 2050
To complete this process, the facilities of the La Tour Carnet 2050 project are completed by a dedicated vinification vat, made up of 84 temperature-controlled vats allowing the separate vinification of each of the grape varieties in the study. It will thus make it possible to measure the potential of these grape varieties and the wines that will be produced from them as a way of adapting to climate change.
Producing from 2022, the wine of tomorrow on a great Médoc region, illustrates Bernard Magrez's desire to never give up innovating to guarantee the quality of our wines.
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How do we accelerate the ripening of grapes?
Assuming that the global temperature of the atmosphere continues to increase, the different phenological stages of the vine will be more advanced. As a result, the installation of electric heating cables throughout the year allows us to align the vines of the La Tour Carnet 2050 project with the climate estimates of 2050 by scientists.
In order to make the most of the specificities of the different plants, they are each harvested at different times to reach their optimum maturity. They are then vinified separately in 4hL vats, aged in barrels and then bottled. An organoleptic measurement of the oenological qualities is then carried out by our scientific teams in order to select only the best grape varieties.
Bernard Magrez
“The climatic and environmental challenges we have to face are of an unprecedented scale.
precedent and must be noted. Reinventing our profession of winegrower, innovating everywhere
is possible to ensure the sustainability of the production of great Bordeaux wines.
This is the mission that I have given to my teams for more than 10 years. This very special project responds to one of the cardinal values of my company: NEVER GIVE UP.»