Carmes Haut Brion 2022

Les Carmes Haut-Brion

Case Format: 12x75cl

Max score: 100.0

The lesser-known neighbour of Haut Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, Château Les Carmes Haut Brion are not one to be overlooked. Positioned on the same distinct terroir as its famous counterparts, this Pessac-Léognan estate has been creating beautiful wine for centuries. 7.6 hectares of the 29.6-hectare estate are used to produce Les Carmes Haut Brion. The vineyard is planted with Merlot (c.41%), Cabernet Franc (c.39%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (c.20%). The vines are on average nearly 45 years old, with the oldest being close to 90. Around 45% of their grapes are fermented with the stems intact in a bid to add more freshness and minerality to the wine. After vinification the wines are aged in 100% new French oak barrels, with 5% of the wine aged in clay amphora. The end result is a beautifully complex wine, that comprises silky textures and strong fruity flavours.

IN BOND

CRITIC REVIEWS

99-100
Yohan Castaing

The remarkable 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Its also one of the most singular, characterful wines being produced in the region today. Unfurling in the glass with complex aromas of blackberries and cherries mingled with notions of exotic spices, orange zest, pencil lead, rose petals and vine smoke, its medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a velvety attack that segues into a layered, seamless and multidimensional mid-palate framed by rich, powdery tannins. Pure, perfumed and penetrating, this blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot is a brilliant success that caps a decade of relentless work by Guillaume Pouthier and his team that have seen Les Carmes Haut-Brion emerge as one of Bordeauxs leading estates. It checks in at a mere 13.5% alcohol, with a very healthy pH of 3.64.

97-99
Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 26% Merlot, 90% aging in oak (70% new barriques, 20% 18hl casks) and 10% in amphoras. Deep garnet-purple in color, it pops out of the glass with lifted notes of redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries, blackcurrant pastilles, and lavender, leading to cerebral wafts of cast-iron pan, dark chocolate, and dusty soil with a hint of licorice. The red and black berry flavors do pirouettes on the medium-bodied palate, featuring incredibly fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension that gives a shimmer to the very long mineral-laced finish. As usual, the alcohol is 13.5% (the stem inclusion absorbs some of the alcohol during fermentation) and the pH is 3.64. This is a vibrant, showy, immediately impactful wine that flies in the face of traditional Bordeaux, carrying it off with bags of grace and style. A slight carbonic character from the whole bunch juxtaposed by a rock-solid structure thanks to the ripe stem tannins creates a unique signature. I personally love it, but if youre a Bordeaux purest, this might not be your cup of tea.

DELIVERY INFORMATION

Please note the price indicated by Duty Paid shows the cost of the wine with the applicable taxes (Duty & VAT) added.
Cru Wine stores all its wines in-bond with LCB Eton Park. When choosing your Shipping Method, if you would like to keep the wine stored in-bond, please select "1 Month Free Storage at LCB Eton Park". This also applies to wines which are currently En Primeur as these are not available for immediate delivery. Storage charges will apply if you choose to store your wines with us. If you would like your wines delivered, please select "Private Home Delivery in the UK". Duty and VAT will be applied if you choose to have your wines delivered to a UK address. If you live outside of mainland UK additional delivery charges will occur. Please see our FAQs Page for further information.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

COLOUR

COUNTRY

REGION

VINTAGE

CASE FORMAT

MAX CRITIC SCORE

100.0

icon-message.png

NEED ADVICE? CALL +44 (0)203 92545

Lines open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri

No Recently Viewed Products

Cru Wine Ltd.

Registered company 08579498. Cru Wine Limited, 109 Hammersmith Road, London, United Kingdom, W14 0QH. VAT Number: GB180547111. All rights reserved.