Dating from the 12th century, La Tour Carnet is a genuine medieval castle with a moat. The oldest château in the Médoc, it owes its name to the equerry Carnet, who fought valiantly beside Lord Jean de Foy. Carnet's courage and devotion were such that he ended up inheriting the estate. Éléonore, the sister of Michel de Montaigne, was one of several illustrious owners during the 16th century. The current owner, Bernard Magrez, who also owns Pape Clément, has expended an enormous amount of time and energy in renovating the estate, particularly the vineyard, the cellars, and the château. Leaf thinning and green harvesting are carried out to reduce yields in the interest of quality. The grapes are hand-picked into small crates, sorted and destemmed before being transferred by gravity into wooden fermentation vats and then eventually into barrel. These are just a few of the practices that contribute to the excellence of this estate that was included in the prestigious 1855 classification.