Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

A small neighboring cru to Haut-Brion, also saved from the urbanization of Pessac, Les Carmes Haut-Brion produces a very harmonious, subtle wine, in which Cabernet Franc in particular contributes its incomparable finesse. The property was purchased in December 2010 by Patrice Pichet, head of the real estate group Patrimoniale Foncière Pichet. 2016 was the first vintage to be vinified in the magnificent, bold winery designed by Philippe Starck and Luc Arsène-Henry. Patrice Pichet has entrusted the management of the estate to the talented and perfectionist Guillaume Pouthier, who is taking the estate to the level of the best.

Decanter

About the wine:

Deep and dark, this wine is beautifully floral with notes of violets, iris and peonies, combined with ripe black cherries, licorice and dark chocolate. Concentrated yet bursting with energy, it expresses itself fluidly on the palate. Bright red fruits - strawberry, cherry, raspberry - rest on a mineral backbone of wet, salty stones. Crisp yet powdery tannins and lively acidity give it incredible tension. Despite its depth, it seems almost weightless, so easy to drink and yet made for ageing. Pure, immaculate and vibrant, with no trace of heat - just balance and finesse. Juicy, lively and absolutely convincing. A true expression of terroir and an assured success. 70% whole-cluster fermentation. Aged for 2 years - 80% new oak, 10% large 20hl vats and 10% amphorae. 3.55 pH. 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot. 2029-2050

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

Embedded in the Bordeaux urban area, like its neighbor Haut-Brion, this 4.7-hectare cru owes its name to the Grands Carmes, its owners until the French Revolution, when it was sold as national property. A wine merchant bought it and in 1840 passed it on to the Chantecaille family, who kept it until 2010, when it was bought by the Pichet real estate group. In 2012, Patrice Pichet bought part of Ch. le Thil Comte Clary, doubling its surface area from 4.7 ha to 10.3 ha.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022 is the finest wine bottled to date by this estate under the direction of Patrice Pichet and Guillaume Pouthier. It unfolds in the glass with aromas of violets, iris, dark wild berries, pencil lead and blackberry. It's medium- to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a deep fruity core, beautifully framed by velvety, precise tannins, ending on a long, saline, perfumed finish. Suave and harmonious, it was made with 70% whole bunches and aged in 70% new oak. This unconventional blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot marks a turning point for the estate and consolidates its rapid ascent to the Bordeaux firmament. 2032-2062

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

Les Carmes Haut-Brion's distinctive style, defined by audacious vinification methods and the use of whole grapes, has established it as one of the most original crus in the appellation, and indeed in the whole of Bordeaux. The expression of the fruit appears "infused" - a fashionable term, but perfectly justified here - and the touch of the tannin singularly fine. It must also be said that the property acquired by the Pichet family in 2010 is based on an original terroir, adjacent to the even earlier Haut-Brion, and occupied by a significant proportion of very old vines, notably Cabernet Franc. The modernization of the winemaking facilities has enabled the cru to achieve one success after another in recent vintages, following a truly impressive crescendo, which justifies the third star awarded two years ago.

Vinous

About the wine:

Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022 is a majestic masterpiece from technical director Guillaume Pouthier. Dark and homogeneous in the glass, the 2022 presents an exotic blend of black cherry, lavender, sage, blood orange, menthol, espresso and dried flowers. It shows extraordinary depth and substance in all its dimensions. The time spent in the glass hints at what lies ahead in the years and decades to come. The 2022 is a co-fermentation of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, made from 70% grape stalks that have rested a full 6 weeks on the skins. Ageing is 70% new oak, 20% 18HL barrels and 10% amphorae. Most importantly, all the elements are so well balanced that nothing stands out. On the contrary, it's the wine's total harmony that's breathtaking. Magnificent. 2030-2072

Yves Beck

About the wine:

70% whole bunches for Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022 aged in 80% new barrels, 10% foudres and 10% amphoras. What depth, energy, finesse, delicacy and detail in this ensemble that shines with harmony, brilliance and countless facets, all dedicated to subtlety. On the palate, the wine continues its logic of detail. Each element is in place and an integral part of the whole; nothing dominates, except sapidity, freshness and salivation. Everything is coherent, in harmony, with a breathtaking ability to shine even now, to make you want to drink the wine, while realizing that it has been fashioned for several decades. Another masterpiece! 2027-2062

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

On a par with the perfect 2016, this is an extraordinary taste experience. Opaque in hue, the wine offers an abundance of aromatic fruit, incense, curry, flowers and smoke. The palate is even more sublime with its endless layers of harmonious fruit that caress your senses with their palette of salty spices, crushed stones, stone fruits, berries and white pepper. The flawless finish crosses the 60-second mark with assurance, refinement and purity. The wine was made from 60% whole bunches, blending 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot. It was aged in new French oak barrels (70%), 20% in foudres and 10% in amphoras. Drink between 2029 and 2060.