Now here is an interesting story. Les Carmes Haut Brion is a Chateau in Pessac-Leognan that was not so well known. Good wines for sure, but neither famous nor an insider tip. I remember tasting it EP 2005, liked it a lot and bought a case. Then the following thing happened. In 2010, Patrice Pichet, a real estate developper bought this property from the Chantecaille family, who had owned it since 1987, for a price that people thought was too high back then. Recognizing the estate’s potential, Pichet invested in an ambitious transformation, reimagining both the vineyards and winemaking facilities. The estate underwent a complete overhaul, including the construction of a state-of-the-art winery designed by Philippe Starck and architect Luc Arsène-Henry. This renovation allowed Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion to modernize its techniques while preserving its heritage, creating the foundation for the acclaimed wines that director Guillaume Pouthier produces today.
Guillaume Pouthier brought techniques to Bordeaux that revolutionized winemaking in the region. He started doing whole bunch fermentation, a Burgundy technique. Seriously? most people thought at first, but it worked so he gradually increased the un-destemmed grapes to 40-60%. His new wines are distinctive, and captivating. Cabernet producers worldwide now visit the château for insights. The cuvée consists of 50% Cabernet Franc, complemented by 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. The wines are highly aromatic, with well judged tannins and acidity. Jean-Marc Quarin was one of the first journalists who reported on it and in 2018 Arv was the first merchant to bring Guillaume to Zurich for a Masterclass over a dinner.
Masterclass dinner
2006 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 89 Points
Distinctively earthy, rustic nose, a touch of farmyard, underbrush. The palate is also a bit St.Estephe style. Could have benefited from stricter selection. I wold avoid this and stick to the sublime 2005/10 and wines after 2012 made by the new team in the new cellar.
2009 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 93 Points
The nose is discrete still, was expecting a bit more expressiveness from 2009. Creamy palate, lovely mouthfeel. The wine showed well initially, complete, in line with the vintage but as it sat in the glass it could not maintain its energy and freshness. Good but out-shined by the stellar 2010 next to it.
2010 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 96 Points
Discrete nose of read fruit, back current and licorice, aristocratic and deep, opened up more and more and became one of the favorites of the night. Not surprising, 2010 is the best European vintage of our lifetime. The palate is dense yet polished, great precision and freshness.
2011 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 90 Points
Muted nose, not very expressive yet. Soft and polished palate, aromatically a bit harmless. Decent but the terrible 2011 vintage cannot fully hide here.
2012 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 95 Points
Now we are talking. Nose of dark fruit, cassis, forest floor, very complete aroma profile. Excellent depth on the palate, freshness, tension, polished tannins. A great wine. 40% whole cluster fermentation. 95-96
2013 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 91 Points
I was not expecting much given how bad the 2013 vintage is. The wine was a bit better than I expected. Lovely nose with dark fruit, peppermint. Relatively simple but decent palate. Decent but as I said many times, avoid 2013 Bordeaux altogether. If you look for a bargain, go for the great 2012/14.
2014 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 96 Points
Just like the 2012 this wines showed really well and found lots of friends at the table. Great nose of dark fruit, some whole cluster notes, iodine, red fruit as well. Medium bodied, racy palate, Burgundian. CabFranc coming through but no greenness here. A great wine, Excellent QPR.
2015 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 96 Points
This was denser than the 2012 and 2014 with a riper touch. Polished palate also here, whole cluster notes and good freshness. Much more structure, needs more time than those two years. Very good, can still add points from here. Stash this away till 2025 at least. I hear that 2016 is even better. 96-97
Other recent vintages
2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 96-97 Points
I tasted this subsequently but for completeness I am posting this here. This 2016 is a new benchmark. Fresh, elegant, precise mouthfeel and very aromatic. Not overpowering but with excellent palate presence. This is exactly how good CabSav blends should be made. In general I find 2016 to be the best vintage, ahead of the other recent greats 2010/09/19/22.
2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 97 Points
I tasted this subsequently but for completeness I am posting this here. En primeur tasting note. Stylistically this looks very much like the 2016 (which was presented next to this EPsample). Really amazing how polished it looked at this stage. It also impresses with great freshness, beautiful blackberry and flinty notes.
Conclusion
I can can honestly say that this is a wine that every Bordeaux aficionado should have in his cellar. Prices have gone up but not in an irrational way.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
November 2018