Carmes Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2016

Jamessuckling.com

98

byJames Sucklingthe2/6/2026

Really pleasant herbal aromas with incense and fruit. Vibrant and nervy, this is truly exceptional, showing a delicate profile that remains incisive and expressive, with a wonderful sense of place. Drink now or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.

Vinous

96

byNeal Martinthe8/9/2024

The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is consistent with previous bottles. It soars from the glass with those (to use a word I used last time) disarming array of blackberry, iris and fig aromas, but displaying a little more blue fruit than I recall. The palate is very well balanced with a velvety texture, pure with just a hint of black pepper. Interestingly, the 65% whole bunches are barely noticeable, just a guiding hand that shapes the finish. Sapid yet tender, this is an outstanding Pessac-Léognan. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Icons of Bordeaux dinner at Legacy Records in New York.

Vinous

96

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2022

The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion contains 65% whole bunches and is the first to be partially aged in foudres and amphora. This has a very clean, precise and intense bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow, crushed stone and iris petal scents. Extra focused. The palate is medium-bodied with chiselled tannins, highly energetic and tensile with a precise finish that lingers long in the mouth. Sapid and engaging, this is a brilliant Les Carmes Haut-Brion. Tasted at the Les Carmes Haut-Brion vertical at the château.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

96

byJane Ansonthe2/7/2022

Subdued power with cassis and blackberry fruits, liqourice root, cocoa beans and a wall of tannins that retains an air of controlled restraint at 6 years old. Maintains momentum and energy through the palate,with a saline lick of crushed rocks on the finish. This is sculpted, moreish, delicious. As with the 2015, a vintage again that Carmes has its own personality, and doesn't follow the pack. New winery, with softer infusion-method for the extraction of flavours and tannins, and 60% stems. Ageing takes place in a mix of 25% new oak, 5% oak casks, and 10% amphoras.

Vinous

96

byNeal Martinthe8/13/2020

The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion offers finely tuned blackberry and briar aromas, and hints of cigar box and wild mint emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and well-defined, leading into a fine-boned, classically styled and quite persistent finish. There is clearly some top-notch winemaking behind this deeply impressive Pessac-Léognan. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Jancis Robinson

17

byJancis Robinsonthe2/5/2020

Yvesbeck.wine

100

byYves Beckthe3/20/2019

Rouge grenat aux reflets pourpres. Puissance et finesse ! C'est ma maxime que j'utilise quand je sens qu'un vin est capable d'allier la finesse et la puissance, mais en général c'est au niveau gustatif que ceci se passe. Carmes Haut Brion le fait déjà au nez ! La complexité est effarante dans son style avec une cohabitation parfaite entre les nombreux composants du bouquet. Que ce soit au niveau minéral, avec du graphite ou au niveau fruité avec des notes de cassis, groseilles, cerises, feuilles de thé mais, et c'est un point crucial, également de la fraîcheur, même des notes végétales, mais des notes végétales mûres ! Si je résume mon entrée en matière, le nez de ce vin est simplement parfait. Sous tout point de vue. Il est puissant, complexe, fin, authentique, marqué par le terroir et par l'équipe qui l'a élevé. Même les notes d'élevage sont reléguées au rang d'assistant olfactif tandis que le reste des éléments dirigent les opérations. La mise en bouche est, et il n’est guère possible d'attendre autre chose, exceptionnelle. Elle est précise, claire et va droit au but. Elle est étonnamment racée, d'entrée et c'est bien l'acidité qui à la main sur le corps. Les tannins sont compacts, puissant et d'une rare finesse. Ils se développent très lentement et reflètent bien les aptitudes du nez, soit rallier la puissance, la finesse et la race. Le vin est d'une rare perfection et pourtant, il a encore du potentiel à exploiter, quelques détails à régler, mais au vu de ce qu'il montre actuellement on peut déjà assumer le fait qu'il dépassera de nombreuses attentes. Dans cette logique, c'est avec une émotion non dissimulée que je lui donne le maximum. Il faudra néanmoins trouver une solution pour 2018. 2026- 2066 (au moins) 100/100

Jeb DUNNUCK

99

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/1/2019

Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice.

Wine Spectator

96

byJames Molesworththe2/5/2019

This offers alluring waves of ganache-tinged plum sauce, blackberry reduction and steeped açaí fruit flavors, while tobacco and singed mesquite notes hang in the background. Shows a lovely bramble echo through the finish, with the fruit easily keeping pace. This has range, distinctive mouthfeel and serious length. There's a new player officially in the Pessac game... Best from 2023 through 2038. 3,333 cases made.  –JM

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe2/4/2019

Terrific ripeness, depth and complexity on offer here. This has a very attractive array of bright, ripe blueberries and cassis with some leafy and earthy notes. The palate has a quite deep, long and vibrant array of perfectly ripe dark plums and blueberries. So good. Best vintage this decade. Try from 2023.

Vinous

96

byNeal Martinthe1/24/2019

The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was deeply impressive out of barrel. Now in bottle, does it meet my admittedly high expectations? Yes. Quite deep in color, it delivers the same intense and disarmingly pure bouquet it exhibited during en primeur, offering blackberry, kirsch, fig and pressed iris flowers and wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied, the new oak still prominent but sutured into the fabric of the fruit. There is a discreet sprinkling of cracked black pepper, and the finish is controlled and correct when it might easily have overreached with something more brash. This will age with style, but be warned, it will require several years in the cellar.

Vinous

98

byAntonio Gallonithe1/21/2019

The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Breathtaking in its beauty, the 2016 soars from the glass with stunning aromatic and flavor intensity. Red cherry jam, wild flowers, mint, blood orange and sage are some of m notes that develop. In the glass, the 2016 is a vivid, statuesque, exotic wine that takes over all the senses as it delivers tons of pure pleasure. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2016 for at least a few years, but that will be virtually impossible. The 2016 is towering masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Tasted three times.

Wine Advocate

95

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe11/30/2018

The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 65% new and 35% one-year-old oak for 22 months. This is one of the largest percentages of Cabernet Franc for this wine this vintage. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it gives notes of kirsch, black raspberries and black plums with touches of cassis, violets, chocolate box and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy and lively with loads of layers and a long, well-poised finish.

WeinWisser

19

byTjark Witzgallthe5/22/2017

41 % Cabernet Franc, 39 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 42 hl/ha, Produktion: 31.000 Flaschen. Tiefes Purpurgranat mit satter Mitte und violettem Rand. Was für ein verführerisches, florales Parfüm nach Veilchen und Iris, dahinter Heidelbeere und Kokos sowie dunkle Schokonoten. Am mittelkräftigen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur, butterweichen Tanninen und guter Frische, die dem Wein Halt und Länge gibt. Süsser Extrakt und viel schwarze Johannisbeere im Rückaroma; hat perfekte Reserven und durch die Kraft wird er immer länger und endet mit intensiver, schwarzbeeriger Frucht. Ist bereits in Balance und besticht durch den anregenden Trinkfluss. Kaufempfehlung!

Bettane & Desseauve

96-97

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2017

Très grande matière, tout aussi grande originalité de texture et de saveur, sans doute liée à l’encépagment (proportion importante de cabernet franc et de raisins non égrappés). Long, complexe, il est assez impressionnant.

Wine Advocate

95-97

byNeal Martinthe5/2/2017

The 2016 Les Carmes Haut Brion is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 39% Merlot, with 13.8% alcohol and a pH of 3.55, the lowest acidity for many years. It was vinified in their Philippe Starck-designed "submarine" (this is what their aesthetically arresting winery looks like as it surfaces in the Bordeaux city suburbs!) with 48% whole berry fruit. Winemaker Guillaume Pouthier (ex-Chapoutier) showed me a large inflatable ring used to submerge the cap to create more of an "infusion" rather than a maceration. The 2016 is matured in 65% new oak, 30% one year old and 5% in amphora. It has a very pure, very attractive bouquet with ample blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry and fresh fig aromas, a little more extravagant than some other Pessac-Léognan 2016s, yet it maintains impressive control and focus. It develops more pressed flower aromas with time. The palate is medium-bodied with tannins that gently grip the mouth, tertiary notes on the entry, fine acidity vis-à-vis the fruit, then a slight tarriness towards the broody black fruit on the saline, marine-influenced finish. It is an intriguing take on the vintage, classic in style like many others, detailed with impressive complexity. You know, it is not a million miles away from Lafleur in Pomerol, but in the same sense, it will require a decade in bottle to show what it can do. It is a new benchmark for this estate with big ambitions. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/28/2017

Le meilleur jamais fait ! Couleur très sombre, pourpre et noire. Nez extraordinaire, intense, très raffiné, au fruité pur, avec des notes de violettes, de framboises et de réglisse, comme si tous les parfums de Carmes s'étaient donnés rendez-vous ici. Grande entrée en bouche ample et moelleuse, de suite extrêmement parfumée puis, le vin stagne en milieu de bouche,      plein et se met à fondre, juteux, complexe, sur un toucher de bouche noble, avec beaucoup, beaucoup de goût. Grande finale profonde et étincelante de fruits. Grain magique. C'est très grand ! Bravo ! Sous le coup de l'émotion, j'ai même oublié de demander l'assemblage. Alcool : 13,8° - IPT : 76. - pH : 3,55, c'est bas et très rare pour un sol argilo- graveleux, ce qui va donner à ce vin une longue vie, même si les gourmands le boiront avant. 2026 - 2070.

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100

byJeff Levethe4/27/2017

With a real intensity of raw material here, the nose pops with smoke, tobacco, flowers, earth, boysenberry and cassis. As time goes on, you find dark chocolate covered plums too. The texture is surreal. Pure silk and velvet fill your mouth and coat your palate. Concentrated and deep, this has a freshness, vibrancy and purity of fruit that really leaves you breathless. To understand the finish, picture eating ripe and almost over berries right off the vine, while smoking an aged Cuban cigar and you are almost there, if you just add the silky, velvet textures, rocks and stones. The finish sticks with you for over 60 seconds! The wine was made from blending 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that included 50% of the grapes being whole, bunch fermented, the wine reached 13.8% alcohol, with a pH of 3.55. The harvest took place September 21 to October 8. The wine is aging in 100% new, French oak barrels, with 5% of the production aging in clay amphora. 

Vinous

94-97

byAntonio Gallonithe4/26/2017

The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is one of the most distinctive wines of the vintage. A wine of real depth and density, it possesses stunning richness and intensity in all of its dimensions. The high proportion of Cabernet Franc and the 50% whole clusters give notable aromatic lift, saline intensity and drive. Ample, full-throttle and unapologetically intense, Les Carmes Haut-Brion is once again superb. Tasted three times.

Decanter.com

95

byJane Ansonthe4/25/2017

Slowly but surely, Carmes Haut-Brion is moving from being 'an estate to watch' to one that has fully arrived. This gives the appearance of effortless extraction, where the vibrant black fruits seem artfully placed along the palate, fleshed out with liquorice, dark chocolate, graphite and violet notes. This has the highest proportion of Cabernet Franc on the left bank, and it can be austere at en primeur, but in this vintage the fresh fruit reads as juiciness and persistency. I love it, what a stunning wine, and what a testament to the benefits of investing in terroir. Biodynamic farming also, although not certified. Tasted at the château and again with the UGCs. Technical director Guillaume Pouthier used a good amount of whole bunch pressing, over 20%, because he felt the stalks were ripe. Drinking Window 2027 - 2045

matthewjukes.com

18

byMatthew Jukesthe4/25/2017

(41 Cabernet Franc, 39 Merlot, 20 Cabernet Sauvignon) | 65% new oak A superb wine, with thoroughbred tannins and perfectly judged fruit, this is a wonderful success for Les Carmes Haut-Brion in 2016 and unlike previous vintages where everything seems slightly forced and dense, this is a wine with an effortless feel and I like it all the more. 18+

Jancis Robinson

17

byJancis Robinsonthe4/21/2017

Dark crimson. Sumptuous texture if not that much flavour at present. Very round and gorgeous with lovely Graves freshness on the finish. Very glossy and winning. Nicely managed tannins.

Wine Spectator

93-96

byJames Molesworththe4/10/2017

This has the grippy, licorice-accented edge typical of the AOC, along with sappy kirsch and cherry paste flavors. Good energy supplies lift and cut through the finish, putting this half a step ahead of the pack.—J.M.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/10/2017

Couleur très sombre, pourpre et noire. Nez extraordinaire, intense, très raffiné, au fruité pur, avec des notes de violettes, de framboises et de réglisse, comme si tous les parfums de Carmes s'étaient donnés rendez-vous ici. Grande entrée en bouche ample et moelleuse, de suite extrêmement parfumée puis, le vin stagne en milieu de bouche,  plein et se met à fondre, juteux, complexe, sur un toucher de bouche noble, avec beaucoup, beaucoup de goût. Grande finale profonde et étincelante de fruits. Grain magique. C'est très grand ! Bravo ! Sous le coup de l'émotion, j'ai même oublié de demander l'assemblage.

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe4/4/2017

Extremely long and erudite with crushed stones, blackberries and blueberries. Hints of fresh herbs. Full-bodied, tight and polished. The balance and beauty are amazing. Salty and minerally. More polished than the 2015. Wait and see. From biodynamic grapes.