Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2025

Gorgeously fragrant on the nose with so many perfumed scents – violets, iris, peonies, cinnamon, exotic spices, black chocolate, something slightly sweet and aromatic with blackcurrant and dark bramble berries. Succulent and juicy with a powdery element to the tannins that fills the mouth straight away. I love the integration of the acidity – this has brightness but is also quite calm and charming, softer than expected. Sleek, sophisticated, full of complexity and nuance yet with real depth, intensity, concentration and integrity. Very true to place and to Guillaume Pouthier’s style. Succulent and floral Cabernets, aromatic all the way through, super long, graceful and full of width and flavour while staying clean. Ripe with tannins that fill the mouth – fleshy, grippy but wide and lifted – giving a gorgeous texture. A little citrus tang to the acidity but overall full of life and focus. Brilliant. 3.59pH. A yield of 38hl/ha overall (29hl/ha Merlot, 45hl/ha Cabernet Sauvignon). 65% whole bunch fermentation.

Almost opaque in color, it takes no effort to dig into the floral display. From there you encounter black cherries, licorice, spice box, menthol, cigar wrappers, blackberries and crushed rocks in the aromas. The palate is what steals the show with its vivid display of black, with red fruits, elegant, silky textures, and most importantly, purity of fruit. The velvety finish spreads all over your palate with touches of sea-salt, cocoa, Indian spices and lingering, dark fruits. Clearly, this is in competition with the best vintages the estate has ever produced. The ability to manage the potential of hydric stress, due to their terroir is a large part of what helped make 2025 such a success. The wine was made using 65% whole bunch clusters, blending 54% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17% Merlot. It is interesting to note this is the highest percentage of Cabernet ever included in the blend. I think it really works here. 13% ABV, pH 3.59. The wine is aging in a combination of 70% new, French oak, 19% foudres, and 11% amphora. Picking took place September 7- September 19. Drink from 2029-2065. 98-100 Pts

I was a little nervous to be honest about Carmes Haut-Brion, worried that this would be too sliced-through with steel acidity this year with the high Cabernet Franc, but I was worrying unnecessarily. It's totally beautiful, sleek, grilled campfire, a ton of momentum and there is a spherical feel through the mid palate, expanding and deepening the fruit flavours. High floral as you would expect, a crush of peony, iris, violet right on the first nose, chalky and slate edge to the tannins, full of energy, 14%abv at picking then whole cluster brought it down to 13%, 3.6ph, 65% whole bunch during fermentation. 38hl/h yield (compared to 24hl/ha yield last year after selection), 70% new oak. 3.59 pH. Harvest September 7 to 19, this is highest levels of Cabernet Franc to date.

The subtlety of intensity is, in itself, already a paradox. It simply reminds us that one does not preclude the other. Beyond sheer intensity, what stands out is this bouquet’s ability to reveal the personality of Carmes from the very first seconds and to instantly bring to mind truly great bottles—1949, for instance—with the unmistakable stamp of the terroir taking precedence over grape varieties and even over the people who made the wine. This is a place speaking—irrefutably. Black-cherry notes mingle with aromas of peony, toast, blackcurrant, orange peel, malt and peppermint. The slightly creamy attack heralds a methodical wine that gradually unfolds. A true tactician, it gains breadth as it progresses, shining with the energy it manages to pinpoint at exactly the right moment, in exactly the right place (the Greeks call this Kairos…), bringing a tonic touch to the mid-palate. The tannins appear late (I would have been surprised by the opposite) and impress with their quiet power, their clear-sighted message and their prudence: as fast as possible, but as slow as necessary. They strengthen and underpin depth and freshness, and carry the acidic framework with them so it can fulfill its essential mission—beyond supporting long ageing—namely to refresh and to champion the wine’s juicy character. A Carmes Haut-Brion that easily frames its power by surrounding it with elements every bit as impactful. It is brilliant in the way it positions itself with vigor and tension, claiming the right not to say everything, yet saying more than enough for us to understand it will join the property’s breathtaking Hall of Fame. The message is clear: it will need time, but if one dares to open a bottle in its youth, the notion of an outstanding growth is already explicitly projected. Carmes Haut-Brion is entering a new era. While it has always been true to itself, it now has the advantage of drawing on everything the teams have built in recent years, as they work day after day, staying focused on the smallest detail. That is what it means to reap the rewards of long-term work. It means Carmes no longer has to convince; it can finally stand on its own. Not out of arrogance, but simply because greatness needs neither justification, nor ranking, nor assessment. When you are great, you are great. And there is no need for potential scores either.

Deep black color. A profound nose with aromas of black fruit, red fruit (raspberry) and smoke. Broad on the attack, immediately full-bodied and powerful with a majestic progression, this silky, noble wine moves forward gently, slowly, very opulent, before relaxing into a more airy finish while still building its structure—remarkable for its balance, its singularity and its complexity. It ends with a superb tannin texture and an extraordinary, all-encompassing length that leaves you speechless! Wow! Magnificent! Tasted twice since the blend was put together! It will last a hundred years! Blend: 54% Bouchet, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot. Alcohol: 13% – pH: 3.59. Yield: 38 hl/ha. Production: 48,000 bottles.

(54% CF, 29% CS, 17% Merlot, 65% whole bunches, 80% new oak, 3.59 pH) Dark, almost black at the core; on the nose, a textbook Cabernet aroma—radiant, fresh, finely spicy and with a Burgundy-like feel—fascinatingly floral, with violet blossoms and exotic spices; on the palate, focused and taut on the attack, then it broadens out and fills the mouth without ever feeling heavy. Even as a barrel sample, it makes spitting difficult: immensely juicy, brimming with energy, class and joie de vivre. A delicate hint of bitterness, together with outstanding acidity, adds a peerless freshness; the finish is of excellent length. A highly complex Les Carmes Haut-Brion that will be approachable early yet built to last for (a small) eternity.