2023 CHÂTEAU LES CARMES HAUT BRION Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan, Lea & Sandeman

CHÂTEAU LES CARMES HAUT BRION

2023 Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan

Grapes Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Village Pessac-Léognan
Classification Cru Classé
ABV 13.5%

Guillaume Pouthier and his team have once again crafted one of Bordeaux's most unique and characterful wines. Revealing aromas of mulberries and raspberries mingled with notions of vine smoke, orange zest, rose petals and spices, the 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated, with a powerful, vibrant and complete mid-palate, concluding with a long, ethereal and mouthwateringly saline finish. Sensual, suave and seamless, its beautifully refined tannins are, analytically, more abundant than even those of the 2022 vintage, yet they are so brilliantly integrated as to be near-imperceptible. This blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot is crafted for longevity, though its refined structure will make it surprisingly approachable at an early age. It's maturing 70% in new oak barrels, 20% in 18-hectoliter foudres and 10% in amphorae. A creditable yield of 50 hectoliters per hectare represents a decided agronomic success in what was a challenging growing season. Drinking range: 2025 - 2065 Rating: 97-99 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2024)


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Elderflower and peony aromatics, stunning inky plum colour that is very much a signature of Carmes, where it looks so enticing and ripe visually, and then on the palate you feel this contrasting vibrant lift and drinkability. Back to the signature squid ink flavour that is the key marker of ripe Cabernet in the vintage, and here the grippy slate texture slows everything slows, slowly humming through the palate. Has a sappy, drinkability, with crushed rose petals and salted cracker salinity. 60% whole cluster, harvest September 11 to 25. 3.6ph. Distinctive, intense, one for Carmes lovers to celebrate. Drinking range: 2030 - 2046 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

The 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is increasingly a wine of seamlessness. Whereas the various components were once easily discernible, today Carmes is most often a wine of total beauty. The 2023 is a bit shy, especially in its aromatics. In other words, a pretty big departure from so many other recent vintages that have been far showier at this stage. Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier explains that he plans to give the 2023 longer aging, around 24-26 months, so he approached vinification and the early part of aging in a more reductive style than in the past. As always, Les Carmes is marked by its strong presence of Cabernet Franc and use of whole clusters, but as mentioned above, those signatures are less immediately evident than they once were. Les Carmes has been one of Bordeaux's stars over the last few years. I can't wait to see how the 2023 turns out. Drinking range: 2035 - 2073 Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

The blend here is 50% Cabernet Franc, mostly old vines, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, making 80% Cabernet overall, high for the estate, and 20% Merlot, the fruit all picked between September 11th and the 25th. The yield was 51 hl/ha. The vinification used 60% whole bunches, a high level, with an infusion of the cap, held below the surface of the juice. Beautifully sweet Cabernet – specifically Cabernet Franc – on the nose, with perfumed rose, verbena and mint, with dark chocolate and dried raspberry beneath. A very savoury, polished and structured style on the palate, with dense ribbons of tannins and fresh acidity, keeping this bouncing along quite beautifully on the palate. This is sinewy, lithe, with an infused structure of tannins, sweet but restrained fruit, with fresh acidity, leading to a finish grained with energy and salty structure. Delicious composure, the tannins so tightly knit and finessed, with such joyous harmony and grip at the end. A triumph! The alcohol level is declared at 13.5%. Rating: 95-97 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Château Les Carmes Haut Brion

The core of this property is a five hectare vineyard, the only one with an address in Bordeaux itself, Carmes Haut Brion (although neighbouring Haut Brion and co. in Pessac). The little vineyard of Carmes HB, with a dominance of Cabernet Franc - very rare in the area - is planted at a high density of ten thousand vines per hectare. It was once part of Haut Brion, but was given by its owner to an order of nuns, the 'Carmes Blanc', hence the name.

When it was bought by property developer Patrice Pichet in 2010, the vat room consisted of three huge vats, one for each grape variety. Since then the vineyard has been completely restructured, and a new winery has been built.

Pichet has also bought one half of a property called Le Thil, and renamed it the 'Clos des Carmes'. As such it is not a second wine, but an entirely different property. The other half was bought by Smith Haut Lafitte.

M Pichet has also built a rather beautiful new chai, designed by Philippe Starck and the architect Luc Arsène-Henry, which resembles a cross between a submarine and a dreadnought battleship. We'd love to share a photo but it has been firmly embargoed until the unveiling date of the 28th of June 2016.

the winemaker/general manager is Guillaume Pouthier, who previously worked at Chapoutier in the Rhone, and he has brought with him the technique of using up to half whole bunch fermentation, creating layers the destemmed and whole bunch fruit in the vats. One to watch.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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