Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion -Subskription-

97-99/100 Wine Advocate 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. - Yohan Castaing 98-99/100 Jamessuckling.com This is a fantastic wine and very, very exciting, with purity and brightness to the floral, spicy and blackberry notes. It’s full and deep with agility and weightless. You feel the greatness in this. The winemaker says this is more concentrated and structured than the 2022. Lightly salty. 60% whole-berry fermentation. 50% cabernet franc, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. From organically grown grapes. - James Suckling 96-98/100 The Wine Cellar Insider 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. - Jeff Leve 95-97/100 Jeb Dunnuck As to the Grand Vin 2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, this beauty checks in as 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot that was fermented with 60% whole cluster, brought up in 70% new barrels, with a good portion in foudre and amphora. It has a deep ruby/purple hue and vibrant aromatics of cassis and black cherries as well as leafy tobacco, spring flowers, woodsmoke, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it stays tight and compact on the palate, with a lively spine of acidity, beautiful precision and focus, ripe yet certainly present tannins, and outstanding length. It’s incredibly elegant, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this gain mid-palate density over the course of its élevage. It’s going to be long-lived. - Jeb Dunnuck 94-96/100 Vinous 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. - Antonio Galloni 94-96/100 Vinous The 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was picked September 11 to 25 with 60% whole bunch and more Cabernet Franc than usual. Aging was 70% in new barrels, 20% in 18-hectoliter foudres and 10% in amphorae. This offers plenty of dark berry fruit mixed with cedar and pinecones on the nose, very well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, and the acidity is very well-judged. Just a soupçon of white pepper appears toward the finish. This is a much more succinct Les Carmes than the 2022, but it’s extremely harmonious and characterful. - Neal Martin 99-100/100 Yvesbeck.wine Wie viel Finesse, Tiefe und Subtilität steckt in dem filigranen und präzisen Bouquet von Carmes. Die Nuancen von schwarzen Kirschen, gepaart mit Pfingstrosen und Holunder, schaffen eine außergewöhnliche Symbiose und Komplexität, nicht durch ihre unendliche Menge, sondern durch die Fähigkeit, eine solche Vielfalt mit Eleganz und Reinheit als Energiequelle zu schaffen. Der Wein profiliert sich gewichtet, ehrgeizig, frisch und präzise. Die Tannine treten erst spät auf und zeigen zunächst ihre Feinheit, bevor sie die Ärmel hochkrempeln und ihren Bizeps in den Vordergrund stellen. Wieder einmal waren Guillaume Pouthier und seine Teams für die Botschaften, die ihnen die Reben und das Klima schickten, empfänglich. Sie wussten sie zu lesen, zu interpretieren und in den Wein zu assimilieren. Eine Übung aus Subtilität, Präzision, Strenge und Ambitionen, die von diesem Wunsch nach Exzellenz motiviert sind. Das Ergebnis ist ein ausgewogener, herausfordernder Wein, der die hedonistischen Rezeptoren anspricht, aber auch die Sinne für Details weckt. Carmes 2023 ist tiefgründig, außergewöhnlich, präzise, saftig und sogar animierend. Einmal mehr beweist Carmes, dass Finesse und Subtilität, angeführt von einer delikaten Kraft, die notwendigen Argumente haben, um seine Exzellenz zu unterstreichen, unabhängig vom Jahrgang, denn der 2023 lässt sich von seinem Vorgänger nicht einschüchtern, ganz im Gegenteil, er setzt sich neben ihn, damit sie gemeinsam in die Zukunft blicken, mit ihren jeweiligen Unterschieden und vor allem ihrer gemeinsamen Seele! Im Vergleich zu 2022 war es wahrscheinlich schwieriger, Carmes 2023 dorthin zu führen, wo er heute steht. Man ist also versucht zu sagen, dass er umso mehr verdient, aber um ehrlich zu sein, denke ich, dass man in diesem Zusammenhang die Verdienste auf die Menschen übertragen muss, die sich engagiert haben und zu diesem großartigen Ergebnis beigetragen haben. Ich möchte ihnen mit diesen Zeilen meinen Respekt erweisen und ihnen dafür danken, dass sie die Weinliebhaber mit diesem sehr großen Wein belohnen. - Yves Beck 96/100 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux 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. - Jane Anson 97/100 Falstaff Deep ruby colour, opaque core. Very fine savouriness, dark berryish fruit, fresh cherries, blackberry confit, light nougat, mineral touch, very fruity bouquet. Com- plex palate, full-bodied, red cherries, silky tannins, salty finish, very rich in finesse; a dynamic wine with generous flow, great freshness, salty and stimulating, certain ageing potential. - Peter Moser 95-96/100 My Bettane + Desseauve Puissance et fraîcheur indéniables, l’ensemble est bien construit et parfaitement en place. De grandes promesses en perspective. - Bettane & Desseauve