Chateau Les Carmes de Haut Brion 2023

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion

This small estate spreads across 10 hectares of vines in Pessac-Leognan and lies on soils made of gravel, clay and sand. Dating back to 1584, this Chateau was acquired by Patrice Pichet in late 2010. Patrice invested in a new winery which was designed by Philippe Starck. It stands out as a metal vessel emerging from the middle of the estate and rests on the bed of the River Peugue. Inside, the vat room is composed of oak, stainless steel or concrete tanks while the maturation room has 300 barrels.

The proportions of Cabernet Franc have increased in recent years to make the Grand Vin to add a silky mouth feel. Aged for 24 months in 75% new oak barrels and 10% amphorae. Aromas of dark berry with notes of spice, loamy soil, licorice, rose petals and black pepper. Medium to full-bodied, this is a deep wine with concentrated ripe fruit and silky tannins well-balanced by a bright acidity and a long finish.

Delivery
Items are expected to land in the UK October 2026
Producer
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Region
Bordeaux
Variety
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Reviews

Robert Parker 98 Points, James Suckling 98.5 Points

Bottle Format: 75cl

By selecting a "case of 6", you save £3, help the environment and contribute to eco-sustainable development

Variant
Status
Price
Case of 6
DP
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Ratings

98 Points Robert Parker

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.

98.5 Points James Suckling

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.

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France

France – the home of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire and Champagne – is arguably the world's most important wine-producing country. For centuries, it has produced wine in greater quantity – and of reportedly greater quality – than any other nation. Wine is ingrained in French culture at almost every level of society; it is the drink of both the elite and the common people, and a key symbol in Roman Catholicism, France's majority religion.

The diversity of French wine is due, in part, to the country's wide range of climates. Champagne, its most northerly region, has one of the coolest climates anywhere in the wine-growing world – in stark contrast to the warm, dry Rhone Valley 350 miles (560km) away in the southeast. Bordeaux, in the southwest, has a maritime climate heavily influenced by the Atlantic ocean to its west and the various rivers that wind their way between its vineyards. Far from any oceanic influence, eastern regions such as Burgundy and Alsace have a continental climate, with warm, dry summers and cold winters. In France's deep south, Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon enjoy a definitively Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot summers and relatively mild winters.

France's appellation system was created in the early 20th century and has since been imitated in many other countries. This complex system of laws ultimately defines each wine region and its boundaries and imposes strict rules around winemaking practices. Protecting the names of French wines and guaranteeing the quality and provenance of the products themselves are its key objectives. No other country has developed its appellation system to such an extent; as of 2012, there were more than 450 controlled appellations under the AOC titles and a further 150 Vin de Pays/IGP titles.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, needs little introduction as one of the world's most famous, prestigious and prolific wine regions. The majority of Bordeaux wines (nearly 90 percent of production volume) are the dry, medium- and full-bodied red Bordeaux Blends that established its reputation.

The finest (and most expensive) of these are the wines from the great châteaux of the Haut-Médoc and the Right Bank appellations Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. The former is focused (at the top level) on Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter pair on on Merlot.

The legendary reds are complemented by high-quality white wines based on Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. These range from dry whites to challenge the best from the Burgundy region (Pessac-Léognan is particularly renowned) to the sweet, botrytized nectars of Sauternes.

While Bordeaux is well regarded for wines produced within specific districts or communes, many of its wines fall under other, broader appellations. These include AOC Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and the sparkling-specific Crémant de Bordeaux. The Bordeaux Rouge appellation accounts for more than one-third of all production.

The official Bordeaux viticultural region stretches for 130 kilometers (80 miles) inland from the Atlantic coast. 111,000 hectares (274,000 acres) of vineyards were recorded in 2018, a figure which had remained largely consistent over the previous decade.

Bordeaux Grape Varieties
The "big three" make up 98 percent of all red grape plantings, according to 2020 figures on the official Vins de Bordeaux website:

Merlot, which accounts for 66 percent of all red grape plantings
Cabernet Sauvignon (22.5 percent)
Cabernet Franc (9.5 percent)
Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenère (2 percent)
These last three are grapes which have been largely abandoned (the latter almonst entirely) since the 19th Century, as they failed to ripen reliably, though Malbec has a continued role in Saint-Émilion in single-digit percentages as a color enhancer. Climate change and success achieved elsewhere may yet lead to a partial comeback for one or more of them.

Bordeaux's white wines are generally blends of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and, less often, Muscadelle. Sauvignon Blanc has seen some uplift in recent years given the success of varietal wines from New Zealand and other regions. As of 2020 the figures for permitted white grapes were:

Sémillon (47 percent)
Sauvignon Blanc (45 percent)
Muscadelle (5 percent, dwindling)
Sauvignon Gris, Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Merlot Blanc