Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
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Vinous
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 as to 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.
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James Suckling
The purity and focus here is 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.
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Decanter
An exceptional wine in 2022 by winemaker Guillaume Pouthier who has delivered a supremely drinkable, likeable and harmonious wine that perfectly balances fruit density, aromatic expressiveness, lively acidity and a less is more approach. Intensely fragrant on the nose, nuanced and expressive, open and beguiling with rose, jasmine, bramble fruit, red cherry, licorice and slate. Tense and a touch strict on the palate, electric and thrilling with bright acidity and tannins that come in and give weight and texture to the frame. Crushed velvet, smooth and salty, not plump or overly plush, instead well defined, focused and precise. Silky, elegant with crystalline purity. A beautiful style married to a philosophy that works in hot vintages using whole bunch fermentation to lower the alcohol and give freshness to the wine. A standout success and a wine we’re going to want to finish.
Barrel Sample: 98 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot that saw plenty of stems in the ferments and 20 months in 80% new barrels. Its deeper ruby/purple hue is followed by a sumptuous nose of red, blue, and black fruits, as well as leafy herbs, darker chocolate, crushed stone, and almost bloody, iron-like nuances. I love its overall balance on the palate, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and a great finish. Rating:-98+
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the only Bordeaux property located within the city of Bordeaux. Its tiny vineyard, the Clos des Carmes, is located in the heart of the city and dates back to the 16th century. In 1584, the Carmelite Reverend Fathers inherited the Crespiac mill, where they stayed for around two centuries. Then, in 1855, the Colin family became the new owners, and the estate subsequently came under the ownership of the Chantecaille family. In 2010, Patrice Pichet and his family acquired the estate, which a few merchants and négociants called the 'sleeping beauty of Bordeaux'. The Pichet family's arrival marked the beginning of a transformative chapter for this historic estate, with significant modernization and investment taking place at the château.
The renewal process began with the vineyard itself. Missing elements were replanted, slopes were corrected and the variety of grapes was updated to reinstate Cabernet Franc, which has been the main variety in the blend since 2013. Vine cultivation is also guided by an environmentally friendly approach, with horses used for all soil work. Here, nature is not constrained but revealed.
Then there are the people: Guillaume Pouthier, the new managing director, and Guillaume Deschepper, the technical director. Neither of them are from Bordeaux; they come from an iconic house in the Rhône Valley and have a new vision of what constitutes a great wine.
Finally, a new, state-of-the-art winery was constructed, designed by the renowned architects Philippe Starck and Luc Arsène-Henry.
The ambition was to elevate the estate to new heights while honoring its centuries-old heritage.
One of the most daring moves was the estate’s pioneering use of whole-cluster fermentation, a technique that had never before been employed in Bordeaux. This gave the wine a unique character and balance.
Over the last 10 years, the estate has undergone enormous progression and transformation, resulting in the production of wines of unparalleled character and depth. This has cemented the estate’s reputation as a beacon of innovation and tradition in the Bordeaux wine landscape and beyond.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.