Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023

Once again, this wine leaves you speechless—brilliant; immensely profound and floral: violet, iris, coriander, with citrus notes. A goosebump-inducing bouquet found only at Les Carmes. On the palate it’s dense and concentrated yet featherlight, gliding over the tongue; the tannins are perfect, silky; a magnificent arc of tension and an almost endless finish. Once again, a Les Carmes that leaves you speechless. It will be a joy at every stage of its life.

95-97. Barrel Sample. With 80% of the two Cabernets, including 50% of Cabernet Franc that thrives on the chalk and clay soil, this wine is richly structured and with great fruits even at this stage. It is a dynamic wine, full of rich black fruits and a velvet texture.

Extremely floral nose; peony, iris, rose, expressive and aromatic with black fruits too, liquorice, dark fruit, cedar, some black chocolate and coffee bitterness on the nose too. Smooth and supple, nicely weighted in the mouth, forward, grippy and bright with a soft chew - really quite polished and pristine. Seamlessly integrated with the acidity balancing the tannins and the ripe fruit with some mineral wet stone undercurrents and slight bitter liquorice and grapefruit skin on the finish. It’s a little serious, but certainly polished with a soft chew of strawberry and raspberry and stoney-edged tannins giving excellent terroir signature. Ripe, fresh, clean, fragrant, sleek and streamlined. It has a lovely style and lots of finesse from winemaker Guillaume Pouthier. Harvest 11-25 September, 60% whole bunch fermentation taking the alcohol down from 14.3% at picking to 13.5%. 3.62pH.

Deep in color, the wine is equally deep, sporting nuances of blackberries, black cherries, flowers, blueberries, tar, herbs, and spices. On the palate, the wine is rich, full-bodied, supple, and deep. There is intensity, purity, length, and vibrancy. The wine is rich, and concentrated, yet, the cool part of the tasting is that the wine is also light on its feet. With all the obvious density, the wine never feels heavy. Although it is mouthcoating, its also elegant, leaving you with layers of crushed stones, herbs, and a wealth of ripe, sweet, dark fruits, with a touch of salty chocolate in the finish. The wine was made using 60% whole bunch clusters, blending 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, 13.5% ABV, pH 3.6. The wine is aging in a combination of 70% new, French oak, 20% foudres and 10% amphora. Picking took place September 11- September 23. Drink from 2025-2050. 96-98 Pts.

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 down, 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. 3.6 pH. Distinctive, intense, one for Carmes lovers to celebrate.

Score: 96-98. A deep, delicate nose that invites you to explore a profusion of flowers and wild plants at the bottom of its magical well. Wonderfully bitter citrus notes join in. Confident on the palate, with a strong, assertive identity, it unfurls black fruits—toasty, smoky, fresh (a vinous Grace Jones). A tight core, gripping with enchanting sap, and a silky, saline, mouthwatering finish with superb bitterness on the aftertaste.