Château La Tour Carnet, Medieval wine estate in Saint-Laurent-Médoc, France

Château La Tour Carnet is a wine estate in Saint-Laurent-Médoc that spreads across a large property, with much of the land planted with grapevines. The site includes vineyard areas alongside buildings used for processing and storing the harvest.

The estate takes its name from Jean Carnet, a member of the de Foix family whose lineage shaped the property over centuries. During the major classification of Bordeaux wines in the 19th century, it received formal recognition for the quality of its wine.

The name comes from Jean Caranet or Carnet, an heir of Jean de Foix credited with building the tower. Since 1999 Bernard Magrez has owned the estate, and in 2012–2013 he founded a literary prize at the École normale supérieure de Lyon, open to students from licence to doctorate; 34 manuscripts were submitted on the theme of friendship, a homage to Michel de Montaigne.

Visitors can explore the property through guided tours that walk through the vineyards and the cellar, though advance booking is needed. Plan extra time for your visit and check ahead on availability, since tours run only at certain times.

Since 2012–2013 the estate's owner has funded a literary prize at the École normale supérieure de Lyon, open to students from licence to doctorate. The imposed theme was friendship, in homage to Michel de Montaigne; 34 manuscripts, roughly 900 pages, were submitted and judged by a panel including Bruce Bégout, Michel Bettane and Jacques Weber.