Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2017

A sanguine thread weaves around the core of steeped red and black currant fruit, with singed mesquite, iron and briar notes filling in along the way. The sanguine element leaves a mouthwatering echo at the end. A distinctive and alluring expression of the appellation. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2036. 3,333 cases made.

Brilliant wine that continues to impress three years on from the En Primeur tasting, with a creamy but restrained texture, precise black fruits with a spicy undertow. By this point Carmes had the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc on the Left Bank, and had really started to establish its own identity. It was also using a full 40% whole bunch winemaking, choosing only the ripest stems to include in the fermentation tanks, adding a twist of salinity on the finish and ensuring a dip of around 1% in potential alcohol levels at picking (this is a hot site close to the city centre). Owned by Patrice Pichet since 2011, with Guillaume Pouthier joining as director in 2012 - whose experience in the Rhône meant he was not afraid to use stems in winemaking, something traditionally shunned in Bordeaux. This wine shows the success of that approach, giving personality and poise. Needs another few years for the austerity to soften further.

Aromas of graphite and spiced wood here. The fruit is nicely ripe, in the redder end of the berry spectrum. The palate has good depth and weight. Quite fine, fresh tannins carry plenty of red-plum flavor. Drink or hold.

41% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot.Deep crimson. Dark, almost charry, and quite closed at first. Invitingly dark and savoury, stony/mineral. Tannins are really supple and the wine flows across the palate, elegant and harmonious. Delicious already – though not really ready – but should age gracefully. (JH)

One of the real highlights of the vintage, the 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion possesses off the charts aromatic intensity and tremendous depth. An exotic mélange of sweet tobacco, menthol, rose petal, licorice, dried herbs and sweet dark fruit builds in a wine endowed with extraordinary beauty. Energetic and vibrant to the core, Les Carmes Haut-Brion was magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. Don't miss it.

Clearly a finesse styled wine with plenty of smoke, ripe red fruits, flowers and cigar box notes. Elegant, fresh, medium/full-bodied with lift and length, give the wine a decade to develop more nuances and complexities.

Deep dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening, fine dark wild berry notes, a hint of honey, fresh plums, nougat, inviting bouquet. Elegant, finesse-rich structure, red cherries, mineral, a fine, balanced food wine, good development, certain ageing potential.

Offering an Haut-Brion-like level of purity and precision, the 2017 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion (41% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon) sports a vivid purple color as well as perfumed notes of blueberries, blackberries, unsmoked tobacco, crushed violets, and spring flowers. It’s not a blockbuster in the mold of the 2015 or 2016 (or 2018), but it has medium to full body, a beautiful elegance and purity, notable minerality, and an exceptional finish. It opens up with time in the glass, and I was able to follow a bottle for 3 days without it ever showing a hint of oxidation. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 30 years or more. Guillaume Pouthier and consultant Stephane Derenoncourt have unquestionably raised the quality from this estate, and this 2017 ranks with the gems of Pessac as well as all of Bordeaux.

Dense purple with a ruby rim. A seductive bouquet that simply won’t let go. Delicate notes of ripe raspberries and fresh sour cherry juice, followed by light precious woods, refined cassis spice and chocolate pastilles. On the palate, Les Carmes comes out in full force; the cocoa-like tannins recall ebony, perfectly integrated, with gorgeous freshness paired with ripe, slightly saline extract. A perfect interplay of finesse and power. In the focused finish, graphite and black olive notes. Congratulations to every en primeur buyer: sensational value and (even) better than 2016!

Kunz Fassprobe 18: (41% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 13.3% alc. by vol., production: 40,000 bottles) A deep, concentrated, finely peppery bouquet with black berries, blackcurrant, fine woods, currants, flint and graphite. A tightly knit, powerful yet elegant palate, with dense dark fruit, complex aromatics, a finely muscular, concentrated structure, subtly creamy fruit, and a very long, aromatic finish with dark, lingering notes.

A concentrated, complex, fresh and elegant, multi-layered bouquet: blueberries, plums, cedar, currants, and a range of herbs. An elegant, concentrated, multi-dimensional palate with dense, dark, fine fruit, a varied, powerful and fresh aromatic profile, plenty of very fine tannins, a tightly knit structure, and a very long, full finish with many lingering return aromas. 19/20 2025 - 2050

A lighter framed vintage, goes long on subtle woodsmoke, and we are back to roses here but they are petals and rosebuds, not stems, along with fragrant peony, raspberry, redcurrant, cassis. Graceful, plenty of sappy tannins and slate minerality, with liftoff through the finish. A lovely wine, graceful with finesse and hidden power. Can drink earlier than either the 2015 or 2016, just ensure you carafe for a few hours. 50% stems. Ageing takes place in a mix of 25% new oak, 5% oak casks, and 10% amphoras.

Les Carmes Haut Brion 2017 has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It is a little closed to start, soon unfurling to offer notes of kirsch, redcurrants, and black raspberries, plus touches of rose oil, dried sage, and crushed rocks. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is tightly wound and energetic with bags of bright, crunchy red fruits and fine-grained tannins to support it, finishing long and lifted.

Fresh, peppery floral notes carry through to a palate of captivating silky smoothness, punctuated by a finish that is both intense and airy. Tasted in December and in February. The second tasting confirms that this Carmes is masterful.

Les Carmes 2017 asserts its distinctive style, with a welcome hint of decadence and an unmistakable sense of pedigree. It is the most tender of the recent vintages.

A dense wine with substance, full-bodied, complex, with a long palate and a graphite finish.

The freshness of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc defines the 2017 bouquet. The terroir also makes its presence felt through graphite nuances. A joie de vivre and a desire to share pleasure, fruit—this is what Guillaume Pouthier seeks to create when vinifying Carmes Haut-Brion. Mission accomplished with the 2017, which avoids the trap of being judged as “a 2017” and is instead recognized as a true Carmes Haut-Brion. It is vibrant, precise, relevant and convincing. What an invitation to enjoy… but… because there is a “but”… you will have to wait! Yes, indeed.

Logo on the cork: AL Dark, intense and vibrant colour. Refined nose, highly aromatic, fruity and subtle. Beautiful and pure. Precise on the attack, supple on the mid-palate, very aromatic, the wine caresses the palate and even shows complexity on the finish. It builds to an uplifting close with plenty of flavour. A great success. Alcohol content: 13% – pH: 3.59. Blend: 41% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon.