Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022

Commentaire

The remarkable 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. It's also one of the most singular, characterful wines being produced in the region today. Unfurling in the glass with complex aromas of blackberries and cherries mingled with notions of exotic spices, orange zest, pencil lead, rose petals and vine smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a velvety attack that segues into a layered, seamless and multidimensional mid-palate framed by rich, powdery tannins. Pure, perfumed and penetrating, this blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot is a brilliant success that caps a decade of relentless work by Guillaume Pouthier and his team that have seen Les Carmes Haut-Brion emerge as one of Bordeaux's leading estates. It checks in at a mere 13.5% alcohol, with a very healthy pH of 3.64. "This vintage requires patience," Guillaume Pouthier said to us when we tasted the 2022; and patience is indeed required to fully understand this complex vintage. The 6.9-hectare estate of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, one of the most inspirational in contemporary Bordeaux, has been doing remarkable work for several vintages, and Pouthier's 2022 transcends anything he has achieved before. Thanks to the great attention to detail in the vineyards and winery, such as carefully managing cover crops to pilot hydric stress, whole-bunch vilification and reductive élevage (Pouthier used a mixture of barriques, including 70% new oak, foudres and ceramic vessels), this estate is delivering singular wines while remaining true to Les Carmes Haut-Brion’s distinctive, Cabernet Franc-driven DNA. William Kelley and I tasted the 2022 together twice, and on both occasions the wine performed equally impressively. William Kelley / Yohan Castaing.

Commentaire

En 2022, la vigne de Carmes a clairement expliqué aux équipes que c’est elle qui donnait la direction à suivre, afin que l’on puisse en retirer le summum et que l’on mène, une fois encore, les Carmes Haut-Brion vers les sommets auxquels il nous a habitués. La question n’est plus de savoir si le vin est meilleur ou moins bon que l’année précédente, mais de s’assurer qu’il est au sommet, tout simplement, sans alternatives, indépendamment des nombreux défis que la nature impose sans s’intéresser au confort d’autrui. Le bouquet se révèle avec subtilité, avec délicatesse et précision. Les nuances florales assurent une évidente fraîcheur, tandis que des notes de griottes et de myrtilles, d’after-eight (menthe et chocolat noir), de houblon et de graphite assurent la pluralité. Carmes affiche un caractère crémeux, dès l’attaque. Ses tannins lui confèrent une agréable sucrosité ainsi qu’une puissance exceptionnelle. Cette dernière est d’une grande sérénité. Elle s’impose par ses muscles, son côté vif, aiguisé, digne de l’épée laser d’Obi-Wan ! En même temps, et c’est bien là que le vin rappelle son exceptionnelle aptitude à se profiler dans d’incroyables dimensions, il souligne son côté invitant, charmant, mais juste dans une logique de visualisation, de fenêtre temporelle qui affiche des perspectives pour lesquelles il faudra quand-même attendre. Il faut, bien évidemment, également mentionner les tannins qui effectuent leur travail en coulisses, sans écraser quoi que ce soit, sans dominer, mais uniquement en apportant le soutien dont tous les éléments ont besoin dans ce vin. La finale est à l’image de l’attaque : subtile, crémeuse mais également saline. Peut-être qu’on y décèle une pointe d’amertume… qui est toutefois essentielle dans le cheminement du caractère aromatique qui ne constitue rien de moins que la dernière impression que l’on a du vin. Pour en prendre toute la mesure, il est essentiel de boire une goutte, pour s’assurer de la persistance. On ne pas la supposer, seulement la ressentir… et longtemps dans ce cas ! Un vin brillant, inédit, prêt à défier de nombreuses décennies. 2028-2057.

Commentaire

2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion: 40 % Cabernet Franc, 34 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 % Merlot, 13.5 % by volume, pH 3.64. 70 % whole grapes with stems. The wine is made from 70 % whole grapes with stems and aged 70 % in new barrels, 20 % in foudre and 10 % in amphorae. Tremendously complex bouquet, freshly picked alpine blueberry, red cherry juice, beguiling violet perfume, dried rose petals, chocolate pastilles, Brazilian tobacco and blackberry jelly. On the energetic palate with silky texture, salty extract, tightly woven ripe tannin framework and cascading body. The concentrated finish is a firework of wild cherries, deep terroir spice, olive paste, plus a hint of menthol and an everlasting finish with royal astringency. The best Les Carmes ever and number 1 in Pessac. Chapeau Guillaume Pouthier! 20/20 2030 - 2058. Tjark Witzgall.

Commentaire

The first thing you notice is the black, purple hue. Next, it its the perfume with its black, blue and red fruits, incense, curry, flowers, smoke and herbs. Opulent, restrained, elegant and powerful, the wine comes in layers. You can sense the array of exotic spices, mint, blue and black fruits, crushed rocks, black cherries and white pepper on the palate. Full-bodied and dense, the wine somehow remains light on its feet. The end notes, meshing elegance and power bring everything together, as the finish crosses the 60 second mark. This is perhaps even better than the perfect, 2016! The wine was made using 70% whole bunch clusters during fermentation. From a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, 13.5% ABV, pH 3.6. The wine is aging in a combination of 70% new, French oak, 20% foudres and 10% amphora. Picking took place September 5 - September 22. Yields were 40 hectoliters per hectares. Drink from 2025-2050.

Commentaire

Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier follows his majestic 2020 with another riveting wine. The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is, quite simply, unforgettable. A wine of tremendous energy, the 2022 saturates the palate with inky red/blue fruits, lavender, sage and mint, showing remarkable density that builds into an eternal finish enshrouded by seamless tannins. The 2022 is a co-ferment of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot done with 70% stems that saw six full weeks on the skins. Élevage is 70% new oak, 20% 18HL cask and 10% amphora. It is an incredibly modern wine that marries Bordeaux classicism with hints of Northern Rhône and Piedmont inflections. All the elements are so well-balanced that nothing sticks out. Instead, it is the wine's profound beauty that leaves a lasting impression.

Commentaire

I think one of the legendary wines in the vintage will be the 2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, which comes from a tiny vineyard not far from Haut-Brion and is based on 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Merlot, vinified with 70% whole clusters, and aged 70% in new barrels, 20% in foudre, and 10% in amphora. Despite mostly being not destemmed, you wouldn't know it by tasting it. It has a classic bouquet of ripe blackberries, cassis, leafy herbs, graphite, and violets, while in contrast, the C Des Carmes Haut-Brion, which is vinified with just 30% stems, is clearly marked more by its stems. Full-bodied, concentrated, beautifully balanced, and with a rare mix of purity, freshness, and power, it's going to rival the 2018 as one of the finest vintages ever produced from this address. It's worth noting this estate has a unique terroir in Pessac that includes some limestone in the soils, and this worked particularly well in 2022. Don't miss this wine.

Commentaire

An exceptional wine in 2022 by winemaker Guillaume Pouthier who has delivered a supremely drinkable, likeable and harmonious wine that perfectly balances fruit density, aromatic expressiveness, lively acidity and a less is more approach. Intensely fragrant on the nose, nuanced and expressive, open and beguiling with rose, jasmine, bramble fruit, red cherry, liquorice and slate. Tense and a touch strict on the palate, electric and thrilling with bright acidity and tannins that come in and give weight and texture to the frame. Crushed velvet, smooth and salty, not plump or overly plush, instead well defined, focussed and precise. Silky, elegant with crystalline purity. A beautiful style married to a philosophy that works in hot vintages using whole bunch fermentation to lower the alcohol and give freshness to the wine. A standout success and a wine we’re going to want to finish. 3.64ph. 70% whole cluster. Ageing 70% new barrels, 20% 18hl casks, 10% amphoras. 98-100 points. Georgina Hindle.

Commentaire

Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez très aromatique, fruité, pur, accompagné du subtil parfum du Pessac-Léognan. Ultra minutieux en entrée de bouche, très raffiné au milieu, avec son éclat inénarrable, le vin évolue puissant et suave en même temps. Puis le corps fond, juteux, noble, profond, dans une grande finale où reviennent des notes complexes de fumée, de framboise. C'est superbe ! Assemblage : 40 % cabernet franc, 34 % cabernet sauvignon (moyenne ++), 26 % merlot.

Commentaire

In Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022, I perceive a sense of “defiant elegance,” akin to a prince in a castle playing heavy metal on a cello. The 45% whole bunch maceration lends a unique tea stem aroma, while the 40% Cabernet Franc imparts the grace of violets. hese two elements, originating from different realms, meld together in a single wine, igniting a brilliant spark. Juicy cherries, tangy plums, crisp blood oranges, and aloof graphite dance unrestrainedly with each breath. Without the need for bottled confirmation, I am certain that 2022 is the finest vintage for Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion since the the incorporating of whole bunch maceration (pH 3.64, alcohol content 13.5%).

Commentaire

This is so umami with sea urchin character that gives you sea salt and dried seaweed aromas and flavors. The integrity and richness is so impressive with an exotic character, yet it is so classic and fine in structure. 13.5% alcohol. 70% whole cluster fermentation. 40% cabernet franc, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 25% merlot. A new model for Bordeaux?

Commentaire

40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot. 70% whole bunch. Cask sample. Deep crimson colour. Slightly reserved aromatically but floral notes (lily, iris) as it opens. Dense with a beautifully suave texture, the tannins powerful but refined. Luscious but fresh and long on the finish, the oak (70% new barrels) completely absorbed. Both seductive and restrained. Marked freshness for the year. Will need to check the evolution. James Lawther MW.

Commentaire

Le vin est aérien, d’une grande pureté, la salinité explose sur le palais. Une grande fraicheur en attaque, une belle complexité en finale. Des aromes d’amendes amères, de poivre, de pivoine, de menthe.