Château Carbonnieux
Château Carbonnieux is a striking building; sitting at the heart of its vineyard and surrounded by trees both diminutive and manicured, and tall and ancient, it looks to me every inch the medieval monastery. It sits resolute and fortress-like, a huge square tower capped by a red-tiled roof marking each corner. It is not too difficult to imagine it inhabited by an ancient order of Benedictine monks, living their life of servitude, out tending the surrounding vines during daylight hours, returning to the sanctum of the monastery for prayers and a frugal meal as the sun sets in the west. Indeed, this tale is not entirely fanciful; although established by a presumably wealthy family, the modern-day château really owes its existence more to such monks than to anyone else. This profile of the estate explores its origins and subsequent history, as well as looking at modern-day proprietors the Perrin family, and the state of the vineyards and wines today.
Benedictine Monks: Origin and Salvation
Unlike the châteaux 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. Château Carbonnieux dates back to the 13th century. Its name seems to reflect its originators, the Carbonnius family, who are credited with clearing the land here. Nevertheless, like many such ancient establishments, its early guardians were ecclesiastical; deeds held at the Abbaye de Sainte-Croix de Bordeaux indicate the property changed hands in 1292, and the Benedictine monks held tenure here for many years thereafter. Incredibly, even at this early stage, there were vines at Carbonnieux, although it seems that during the centuries that followed the practice of viticulture fell by the wayside here, and vines disappeared from the estate again.
