Château Les Carmes Haut Brion, Pessac Léognan
    Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion

    Château Les Carmes Haut Brion, Pessac Léognan, 2022

    96/100
    Inside Bordeaux
    97-99/100
    The Wine Independent
    96-98/100
    Vinous
    Available Vintages
    En primeur

    1. 2022

      6x75cl

      EP

      Allocation Only

    Justerini & Brooks Tasting note

    Guillaume Pouthier described 2002 as a year of,

    delivery information
    GUARANTEED PROVENANCE

    Critic Reviews

    96-98/100
    Neal Martin,
    Vinous
    The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was picked 5-20 September with 70% whole bunches (three vats contained 100% whole cluster that was cofermented), matured in 70% new oak, 20% in 18hL casks and 10% in amphora. It underwent a long, six-week infusion in the vat at a maximum 26° Celsius, just over a week longer than usual. It is extremely precise on the nose with blackberry, briary, crushed stone and hints of curry leaf. The palate is just beautiful. Sculpted tannins, fine-boned, lending this Les Carmes unerring symmetry and focus. This is loaded with mineral-laden dark berry fruit and feels seamless toward the finish. I am not inclined toward hyperbole, nevertheless, this is the best Les Carmes that Guillaume Pouthier has overseen.
    drinking window 2030 - 2070
    date of review 05/2023
    97-99/100
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown,
    The Wine Independent
    The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 26% Merlot, 90% aging in oak (70% new barriques, 20% 18hl casks) and 10% in amphoras. Deep garnet-purple in color, it pops out of the glass with lifted notes of redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries, blackcurrant pastilles, and lavender, leading to cerebral wafts of cast-iron pan, dark chocolate, and dusty soil with a hint of licorice. The red and black berry flavors do pirouettes on the medium-bodied palate, featuring incredibly fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension that gives a shimmer to the very long mineral-laced finish. As usual, the alcohol is 13.5% (the stem inclusion absorbs some of the alcohol during fermentation) and the pH is 3.64. This is a vibrant, showy, immediately impactful wine that flies in the face of traditional Bordeaux, carrying it off with bags of grace and style. A slight carbonic character from the whole bunch juxtaposed by a rock-solid structure thanks to the ripe stem tannins creates a unique signature. I personally love it, but if you're a Bordeaux purest, this might not be your cup of tea.
    drinking window 2030 - 2065
    date of review 05/2023
    96/100
    Jane Anson,
    Inside Bordeaux
    This is a truly delicious Pessac Léognan that shows just how much Carmes Haut-Brion sets itself apart, showing grip and stretching out through the palate. Don't expect the same character as you are going to find elsewhere in this vintage. Fragrant aromatics, roses, violets, crushed rocks, fennel, aniseed, with texture and tannic heft. Fresh dark fruits, edges of bitter Bendick mints, smoked caramel, slate. 70% whole bunch, no irrigation, cover crops intead on the clay limestone soils (when picked the grapes were at 14.4%, came down to 13.5% after vinification with use of stems and specific yeast). 40hl/h yields, 70% new oak, 3.6ph.
    drinking window 2030 - 2050
    date of review 05/2023

    product details

    Specifications

    Country:
    France
    Region:
    Bordeaux
    Appellation:
    Pessac Léognan
    style:
    Red Wine
    Grape Variety:
    Cab Sauvignon Merlot
    abv:
    13.5%

    allergen information

    This product may contain sulphites. Full allergen information is available upon request, please call our Customer Relations Team on +44 (0)20 7484 6430.