Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023

 Country: France  Region: Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux  

Varietal: 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot

Category: Red Wine  Style: Dry  Vintage: 2023

Producer: Chateau Haut-Brion

Description:
Located in the Pessac-Léognan appellation to the south-west of Bordeaux, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion has garnered a reputation as one of the most innovative châteaux in the area. During the French Revolution it was seized then sold at auction. Acquired by the Chantecailles, it remained in the family for over a hundred years. Today, the uber-modern Philippe Starck designed cellar firmly cements Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion's place as a forward-thinking 21st century producer. Owners Patrice and Diane Pichet have been the driving force in its reputation as one of the most dynamic properties of Pessac-Léognan in recent years, as well as Guillaume Pouthier, whose experience as an engineer and oenologist stands out for the practices he has implemented.

The vines used to produce this wine are around 40 years old and they grow in a terroir of pebbles, sand and soil in Pessac. The vineyard is worked traditionally always with the goal to improve production. This wine’s distinguishing feature is its proportion of Merlot and Cabernet Franc (40% and 50% respectively), a blend rarely seen on the left bank. The resulting cuvée is rich, dense and harmonious. 

98-99/100 Points - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
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. 

98/100 Points - Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
Slightly higher in Cabernet Franc than usual, the 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion opens with a nuanced bouquet of cassis, cassis leaf, licorice, dark berries, wisteria and blueberry. Medium- to full-bodied, fleshy yet strikingly linear, it’s defined by a tensile structure and a crystalline precision that gives the wine remarkable clarity. The tannins are exquisitely refined—silky yet laser-focused—imparting a sense of purity and balanced. Despite 90% new oak, the élevage is seamlessly absorbed, shaping the wine’s structure without encroaching on its intrinsic balance and precision. Kudos! Drink 2026-2056.  

97+/100 Points - Thomas Parker MW, Farr Vintners
A brilliant showing for such a young wine, the 2023 Carmes Haut Brion delivers everything you could want from this unique property. A vivid ruby-purple in the glass, the nose is very expressive and open, layering graphite and berry fruit, rosemary and thyme, a touch of wood spice and some glossy cassis altogether. You can feel the Cabernet Franc crunch and the aromatic benefits of whole-bunch. The palate is slick, supple and so finely balanced. The texture is completely smooth, making this an absolutely delicious wine to drink now. Fragrant and lifted yet redolent and silky in fruit, this is a perfectly balanced wine. Beautifully done, and a wine that you could drink at any time over the coming 20 plus years, with no need to wait. Excellent.

96-98/100 Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
It has an opaque purple-black colour and needs a little swirling and coaxing to bring out fabulously pure, well-defined notes of juicy black cherries, blackcurrant pastilles, ripe juicy blackberries, and licorice, leading to hints of tar, peonies, wet slate, and black olives, with a touch of Sichuan pepper. The light to medium-bodied palate is airy and refreshing, with a solid backbone of very fine-grained, prancing tannins and bold freshness supporting the pristine black fruit flavours, finishing long and minerally. I had to spend a good 15 minutes with this wine to allow it to grow: it is incredibly tight to begin but expands to become something powerful. A beguiling 2023 with fully ripe black fruit characters and a paradoxical airiness, it really makes your head spin in the best possible way! 

Tasting Notes:
Deep ruby in colour with blueberry, blackberry and a hint of white pepper on the nose, there is a delicate hint of Szechuan spice and wood smoke. The palate is chalky, with a lick of that same sweet exotic spice set against deeply mineral fruit. Layers of blueberry, dark cherry and blackcurrant interlock with the notes of rosemary, graphite and peppercorns that define this wine.

Food Pairings: This exceptional wine pairs perfectly with grilled or roasted red meats, aged beef, game birds, lamb chops, or refined dishes with sauces, as well as with mature cheeses.