Winemaker Notes
Full-bodied to tubular, the wines are now stretching out. Freshness and drinkability the watchwords. Explosive delicacy, mineral finesse, sappy, resinous atmosphere, notes of iris and violet, elderflower, black and tangy.
Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's 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.
Barrel Sample: 97-99 -
James Suckling
Aromas of spices, sweet tobacco, earth, tar, flint, rose petals, fresh basil and bay leaves come through clearly. Medium- to full-bodied with a tight and focused palate and open-grained tannins that are integrated and lightly dry. So savory, juicy and spicy. 60% whole-cluster fermentation. 50% cabernet franc, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. From organically grown grapes. Already so delicious but better in two or three years and well beyond.
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Vinous
Aromas of spices, sweet tobacco, earth, tar, flint, rose petals, fresh basil and bay leaves come through clearly. Medium- to full-bodied with a tight and focused palate and open-grained tannins that are integrated and lightly dry. So savory, juicy and spicy. 60% whole-cluster fermentation. 50% cabernet franc, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. From organically grown grapes.
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Decanter
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.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.
Barrel Sample: 97 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Beautiful notes of exotic red and black fruits, spring flowers, violets, leafy herbs, and tobacco emerge from the 2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, with subtle hints of iron and graphite. Aged 22 months in barrel, the first year in 70% new oak with the rest in used barrels and concrete, and the second year all in used foudre, it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, has a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel, impressive balance, and a great finish. I love the purity and polish of its tannins, and while it already has charm. Rating: 97+
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.