Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion - Pessac-Léognan rouge 2025 (Primeurs)

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

Nestled within the Bordeaux metropolitan area, like its neighbor Haut-Brion, this 4.7-hectare vineyard owes its name to the Grands Carmes, its owners until the Revolution, which led to its sale as national property. A wine merchant purchased it and transferred ownership in 1840 to the Chantecaille family, who retained it until 2010, when it was acquired by the Pichet real estate group. In 2012, Patrice Pichet doubled the estate’s size—from 4.7 hectares to 10.3 hectares—by acquiring part of Château le Thil Comte Clary.

By cultivating a distinctive style, defined by bold winemaking techniques that give whole-cluster fermentation a far from negligible role, Les Carmes Haut-Brion has established itself over the past few vintages as one of the most original wines in the appellation—and indeed in all of Bordeaux. The fruit expression comes across as “infused”—a term that’s very much in vogue, but perfectly justified here—and the tannins are remarkably fine. It should also be noted that the estate, acquired by the Pichet family in 2010, is situated on a distinctive terroir adjacent to Haut-Brion—one that ripens even earlier—and is home to a significant proportion of very old vines, particularly Cabernet Franc. The modernization of the winemaking facilities has enabled the estate to achieve a string of successes in recent vintages, following a truly impressive upward trajectory that justifies the third star it earned two years ago.

Its precision is both alluring and refined, with aromas of fresh flowers, iron, graphite, cedar, blood orange, and black fruits. It is a medium-bodied wine with a compact palate featuring intense tannins that blend seamlessly into the wine. It has a rather light character. It reveals itself on the finish with incredible intensity and concentration. 13% alcohol. 65% whole clusters. 54% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17% Merlot, primarily co-fermented.

The subtlety of intensity is, in and of itself, already a paradox. It simply reminds us that one does not preclude the other! Beyond its intensity, it is this bouquet’s ability to reveal Carmes’s personality from the very first seconds and to immediately bring to mind some truly great vintages—such as the 1949, for example—with the terroir’s distinct character taking precedence over the grape varieties and the winemakers who crafted it. It is a place that expresses itself, irrefutably. Notes of black cherries blend with aromas of peonies, roasted notes, blackcurrant, orange peel, malt, and peppermint. The slightly creamy attack heralds a methodical wine that reveals itself gradually. A true tactician that gains depth as it unfolds, shining with the energy it manages to channel at just the right moment and in just the right place (this is called “Kairos” in Greek…), bringing a refreshing touch to the mid-palate! The tannins, for their part, emerge late (the opposite would have surprised me) and shine with their silent power, their clear-sighted message, and their caution: as quickly as possible, but as slowly as necessary! They serve to consolidate and reinforce the depth and freshness, carrying the acidity with them so that it can fulfill its essential mission—beyond contributing to a long aging potential—which is to refresh and highlight the wine’s juicy character. A Carmes Haut-Brion that effortlessly frames its power by surrounding it with elements just as striking as the wine itself! It shines in its ability to assert itself with vigor and tension, claiming the right not to reveal everything, yet saying just enough for us to understand that it will take its place among the estate’s breathtaking Hall of Fame. The message is clear: patience is required, but if one dares to open a bottle while it’s still young, the notion of a wine of excellence will already be explicitly evident. Carmes Haut-Brion is entering a new era; while it has always stood on its own, it now has the advantage of benefiting from everything the teams—who work diligently day after day to maintain their focus on even the smallest details—have invested in recent years. This is what it means to reap the rewards of long-term effort. This means Carmes no longer needs to prove itself; it can finally stand on its own. Not out of arrogance, but simply because greatness requires neither justification, nor ranking, nor evaluation. When you’re great, you’re great. And there’s not even a need for potential scores. 2032–2080