Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022

Luminous ruby; radiant nose, extremely profound, multi-layered, pure goosebumps, ripe fruit, cassis and blackberries, with floral notes above, smoke, lavender blossoms, violets, cedar; linear palate, dense, concentrated, sensational tannins caress the fruit, not a gram of fat, yet it builds tremendous drive while remaining highly elegant; a finish of grand length and great freshness. A moving, great Les Carmes Haut-Brion, astonishingly different from anything else I have been able to taste.

The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the finest wine bottled to date at this estate under Patrice Pichet's ownership and Guillaume Pouthier's direction. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of violet, iris, dark wild berries, pencil lead and mulberries, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated with a deep core of fruit beautifully framed by velvety, precise tannins, segueing into a long, saline and perfumed finish. Suave and harmonious, it was crafted with 70% whole bunches and matured in 70% new oak. This unconventional blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot represents a turning point for the estate, cementing its rapid ascendancy in the Bordeaux firmament.

Deep and brooding, this wine is beautifully floral with violets, irises, and peonies alongside ripe black cherries, liquorice, and dark chocolate. Concentrated yet bursting with energy, it flows effortlessly across the palate. Vibrant red fruits – strawberry, cherry, raspberry – sit atop a mineral backbone of salty, wet stones. Crisp yet powdery tannins and bright acidity give incredible tension. Despite its depth, it feels almost weightless, so drinkable yet built to age. Pure, pristine, and vibrant, with no trace of heat – just balance and finesse. Juicy, lively, and utterly compelling. A true expression of place and a sure-fire hit. 70% whole bunch fermented. Two years ageing, 80% new oak, 10% big 20hl vats and 10% amphora. 3.55pH. 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot.

The purity and focus here are impressive, with blackcurrants, crushed stones and floral undertones. The whole-bunch character comes through clearly, with rose-stem and floral aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, this is always so delicious but has lots of integrated, open-grained tannins. 70% whole-cluster fermentation. 40% cabernet franc, 34% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot. Idiosyncratic. So attractive now but will age beautifully.

The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a towering masterpiece from Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Dark and seamless in the glass, the 2022 presents an exotic mélange of black cherry, lavender, sage, blood orange, menthol, espresso and dried flowers, showing tremendous depth and substance in all of its dimensions. Time in the glass hints at what is to come in the years and decades that follow. The 2022 is a co-ferment of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot done with 70% stems that saw six full weeks on the skins. Élevage is 70% new oak, 20% 18HL cask and 10% amphora. Most importantly, all the elements are so well balanced that nothing sticks out. Instead, it is the wine’s total sense of harmony that is mind-blowing. Magnificent.

At the same level as the perfect 2016, this is an extraordinary tasting experience. Opaque in hue, aromatically the wine delivers a cornucopia of fruits, incense, curry, flowers, and smoke. The palate is even better, with endless layers of seamless fruit that caress the senses, showing salt-tinged spices, crushed rocks, pit fruits, berries, and white pepper. The seamless finish crosses the 60-second mark with poise, refinement, and purity. The wine was made using 60% whole-bunch clusters, blending 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 26% Merlot. It was aged in a combination of 70% new French oak, 20% foudres, and 10% amphora. Drink from 2029–2060.

Bright deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate rim brightening. Floral touch of candied purple fruit, ripe red cherries, a touch of blackberry confit, nuances of liquorice, very complex bouquet. Juicy, very complex, taut, ripe tannins, fine dark berry fruit, mineral, fine vieille vignes character, balanced, very great length, certain ageing potential for decades. Also has an enormous volume with its 13.5%, silky at all times, fresh and unique in its kind.

40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 13.5% ABV, pH 3.64. 70% whole clusters with stems. The wine is made from 70% whole clusters with stems and aged 70% in new barrels, 20% in foudres, and 10% in amphorae. An incredibly multi-layered bouquet: freshly picked Alpine blueberry, red cherry juice, beguiling violet perfume, dried rose petals, chocolate pastilles, Brazilian tobacco, and blackberry jelly. An energetic palate with silky texture, saline extract, a tight-knit ripe tannic framework, and a cascading body. In the concentrated finish, a fireworks of wild cherries, profound terroir spice, olive paste, a hint of menthol, and an endlessly long finish with regal astringency. The best Les Carmes ever and the number 1 in Pessac. Chapeau Guillaume Pouthier!

Intense ruby colour, careful extraction. Love this, less in the style of the vintage in terms of exuberance than many, with a trace of austerity to the architecture. It keeps its distinct character, showing mint leaf, crushed rose petals, vivid with a purity of fruit expression. The 70% limestone is distinctive, the high Cabernet Franc is distinctive, and the choices they make in the cellar underline these distinctions. Guillaume Pouthier director, Guillaume Deschepper technical director. First year ageing with 70% new oak, second year moving into larger oak casks and 10% amphoras. 70% whole cluster.

Serene, pure, majestic, the nose opens on radiant fruit, where blackberry mingles with pomegranate. With an airy lightness on the palate, a signature of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, the wine floats across the palate, fresh and agile, with beautiful suppleness. Intriguing notes of tangy fruit and crunchy vegetables evoke a stroll through the kitchen garden of a Michelin-starred restaurant, where fresh herbs mingle with summer fruits.

70% whole clusters for Carmes Haut Brion 2022, matured in 80% new barrels, 10% foudres and 10% amphorae. Such depth, energy, finesse, delicacy and detail in this wine, which shines with harmony, brilliance and countless facets, all devoted to subtlety. On the palate, the wine continues its focus on detail. Every element is in place and integral to the whole; nothing dominates, except sapidity, freshness and mouthwatering appeal. Everything is coherent, consistent, with a breathtaking ability to shine already now, to make you want to drink it, while being aware that it is crafted for several decades. Another masterpiece!

(bottled 09/2024) The nose is elegant, racy and deep—aromatic, dense and refined—with a touch of elegant, crystalline darkness. It reveals notes of violet, sage and fresh spices, joined by hints of fresh black tea, and, more lightly, crushed strawberries, small blue fruits, as well as a fine hint of dry zest, almost blood orange, blue tea, and discreet touches of sweet spice. The palate is beautifully guided, fresh and supple, with energy and lovely purity. It shows a crystalline, energetic and melodious profile at once—deep and subtle, fresh, multi-layered—offering a fine balance on pleasant bitters, chew, and an airy feel. It expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackcurrant and violet and, more lightly, blue tea, joined by touches of raspberry and vibrant redcurrant, as well as fine hints of small blue fruits and a touch of blood orange, fresh thyme and a cocoa note, blond tobacco and a subtle hint almost of cinnamon. Good length. A hint of roast and chocolate on the finish/persistence. The tannins are plush, gourmand, with satisfying chew. A flavorful, sapid wine, nicely fresh, with lovely freshness.

Dark, intense, beautiful color. Highly aromatic, fruity, pure nose, accompanied by the subtle fragrance of Pessac-Léognan. Ultra-precise on the attack, very refined mid-palate, with its inexpressible brilliance, the wine unfolds both powerful and suave. Then the body melts, juicy, noble, deep, leading to a long finish where complex notes of smoke and raspberry return. Superb! Blend: 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon (average ++), 26% Merlot. Alcohol: 13.48% - pH: 3.61. Vinification with 70% whole-bunch fermentation (average ++. It was 58% in 2016). IPT: 94. Yield: 28 hl/ha.

“Click, clack”: a photographic expression of the Pessac terroir in 2022! A charming nose bursting with floral exuberance, almost weightless, while the palate asserts itself as a tableau of balance and sensuality. A shapely wine, with remarkably dense juice and a feeling of completeness supported by silky tannins. Freshness lights up the structure. The oak melts into perfect harmony, to the point one could doubt it was used at all (yet 82% new barrels, 8% large casks and 10% amphorae, over 22 to 24 months of ageing). A final touch of sweet clementine crowns this masterful work.