Château Les Carmes Haut Brion, Pessac Léognan, 2023
Since Guillaume Pouthier moved to Carmes Haut Brion from Chapoutier, he has presided over a quiet revolution, turning this Pessac Leognan chateau into one of the most distinctive and sought after wines in Bordeaux. Using 60% whole bunch fermentations, Guillaume favours very passive extractions, "infusion" appears to be the key, with no pump overs or pigeage. This blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot offers gorgeous aromas of incense, spice, flowers and lots of crisp, detailed fruit: cassis, black cherry, notes of sweet earth, graphite, this is wonderfully perfumed with a delicate florality - so much intrigue. The palate is a clear continuation with layers of lovely, fresh, dark fruit, finely textured with exquisite detailing, it's full of bright, leafy fruit, mulberries and cherry. Our conversion is complete, we love this style of Carmes with its vertical character, impressive lift, tightly coiled fruit and gloriously suave tannins. Absolutely A grade.
critic reviews
Slightly higher in Cabernet Franc than usual, the 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion opens with a nuanced bouquet of cassis, cassis leaf, licorice, dark berries, wisteria and blueberry. Medium- to full-bodied, fleshy yet strikingly linear, it’s defined by a tensile structure and a crystalline precision that gives the wine remarkable clarity. The tannins are exquisitely refined—silky yet laser-focused—imparting a sense of purity and balanced. Despite 90% new oak, the élevage is seamlessly absorbed, shaping the wine’s structure without encroaching on its intrinsic balance and precision. Kudos!
The 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion, which includes 60% whole bunches, aged in 70% new oak, amphora and foudres. It has a pretty, delicate bouquet that opens in the glass, mainly black fruit, raspberry and light crushed stone scents, just a touch of curry leaf. Light marine scents emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, velvety in texture with red and black fruit. Hints of clove and white pepper toward the finish, courtesy of the whole bunches. Quite light and detailed. If I have to quibble, I am seeking a bit more grip, a trait that I find in other vintages. Nevertheless, still a classy and intriguing Les Carmes Haut-Brion.
A blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot, Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023 has a pH of 3.62. It was fermented with 60% whole bunches and it is aging in 70% new oak barrels, 20% new oak vats of 18 hl, and 10% amphorae. It has an opaque purple-black color and needs a little swirling and coaxing to bring out fabulously pure, well-defined notes of juicy black cherries, blackcurrant pastilles, ripe juicy blackberries, and licorice, leading to hints of tar, peonies, wet slate, and black olives, with a touch of Sichuan pepper. The light to medium-bodied palate is airy and refreshing, with a solid backbone of very fine-grained, prancing tannins and bold freshness supporting the pristine black fruit flavors, finishing long and minerally. I had to spend a good 15 minutes with this wine to allow it to grow: it is incredibly tight to begin but expands to become something powerful. A beguiling 2023 with fully ripe black fruit characters and a paradoxical airiness, it really makes your head spin in the best possible way!
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 constrasting vibrant lift and drinkablity. 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, drinkablity, 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.