2023

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan AOP, Impériale

Château Les Carmes Haut Brion hat sich zu einem Diamanten des Bordelais entwickelt. Der Weinberge liegen in unmittelbarer Nähe von Château Haut-Brion - ein Terroir, das als Bestes der Appellation gilt. Auf nur 4,7 Hektar zwischen Pinienwäldern, der Garonne und der urbanen Struktur von Bordeaux entstehen Weine mit einem einzigartigen Stil aus kräftiger Würze und bestechender Frische. Auf Carmes Haut Brion wird ein hoher Anteil Cabernet Franc eingesetzt, vergleichbar nur mit dem von Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Lafleur oder Trottevieille. Das bringt dank der Kalk-Böden viel Frische in die Weine. Der 2023er beeindruckt mit delikater Frucht, dem Aroma von frischen Kirschen, Vanille, Flieder, Veilchen und Holunderbeeren. Er ist elegant im Auftakt, dann animierend, zeigt viel Spiel, fast saftig in seiner Mineralität und Finesse. Zugleich weist er feinste, reife Tannine auf, hat eine beeindruckende Präsenz am Gaumen und schmeckt im langen Nachhall dunkel-fruchtig, zeigt sich Frisch mit feine Vanillenote mit Röstaromen, die auf zehn Prozent mehr neue Barriques als 2022 zurückzuführen sind. Mit Bewertungen, die sich auf dem Niveau der 1er Grands Crus bewegen hat er ein sensationelles Preis-Geschmacks-Verhältnis!

PRESSE

98-99 Punkte 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.

97-99 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
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.

"2023 was a year of involvement, humility, responsiveness and delicacy," Guillaume Pouthier remarked, describing the 2023 vintage at Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion. Consistently, this estate delivers some of the most inspiring wines in Bordeaux, and the 2023 vintage upholds this tradition. Pouthier deftly navigates the vintage's challenges, avoiding early grape picking; he steers clear of excessive extraction, unlike some of his peers, and focuses instead on preserving the vibrant flavors and aromas with the purity and precision of the mouthfeel, achieved through significant sorting (about 10% of the crop) to remove scorched berries. Despite these meticulous efforts, the 2023 vintage doesn't quite match the 2022 vintage's more vibrant bouquets. Yet, there is potential for surprises post-élevage, once the wines are bottled, leveraging the estate's expertise in this complex craft. Moreover, the 2023 C des Carmes, which is not the second wine of Les Carmes Haut-Brion and offers an interpretation of different terroirs of sandy and gravelly soils in Martillac, is arguably one of the best produced at this address.

97 Punkte Falstaff (Peter Moser)
Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Sehr feine Würze, dunkle Beerenfrucht, frische Herzkirschen, Brombeerkonfit, zartes Nugat, mineralischer Touch, sehr facttenreiches Bukett. Komplex, stoffig, rote Kirschen, seidige Tannine, saliner Abgang, ein sehr finessenreich, ein dynamischer Wein mit enormen Trinkanimo, große Frische, salzig und anregend, sicheres Reifepotenzial.

94-96 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin)
The 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was picked September 11 to 25 with 60% whole bunch and more Cabernet Franc than usual. Aging was 70% in new barrels, 20% in 18-hectoliter foudres and 10% in amphorae. This offers plenty of dark berry fruit mixed with cedar and pinecones on the nose, very well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, and the acidity is very well-judged. Just a soupçon of white pepper appears toward the finish. This is a much more succinct Les Carmes than the 2022, but it’s extremely harmonious and characterful.