Carmes Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2017

Vinous

93

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2022

The 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion comprises 45% whole bunches and matured for two years in 80% new oak plus foudres and amphorae. Complex on the nose, this offers black olive and brine tinged black fruit, crushed stone and light minty aromas, quite intense in the context of the vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit on the entry, quite Rhône-like in flavour profile, hints of fennel and thyme interwoven into the red fruit, persistent on the finish. Delicious and distinctive. Tasted at the Les Carmes Haut-Brion vertical at the château.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

95

byJane Ansonthe2/7/2022

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.

Wine Advocate

93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/17/2020

Composed of 41% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was fermented using 40% whole clusters and aged for around 20 months in French oak barrels, 65% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple, it springs from the glass with fragrant notions of Black Forest cake, kirsch and black raspberries plus touches of cedar chest, red roses, black tea and dried mint. Medium bodied, the palate struts itself with great elegance and poise, featuring restrained, mineral-sparked red and black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Drinking Window : 2023 - 2045. 93+

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe3/11/2020

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.

Wine Spectator

93

byJames Molesworththe2/7/2020

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. — JM

Jamessuckling.com

94

byJames Sucklingthe1/13/2020

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.

Jeb DUNNUCK

92-94

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/12/2018

Complex damp herbs, underbrush, exotic flowers and ample black fruits emerge from the 2017 Château Les Carmes Haut Brion, which is made by Guillaume Pouthier, who previously worked for Michel Chapoutier in the Northern Rhône Valley. A blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, still aging in 65% new French oak, this medium to full-bodied, rounded, impressively concentrated red will 92-94+need 3-4 years of bottle age yet keep for two decades. Tasted twice.

WeinWisser

19,5

byRené Gabrielthe5/31/2018

29% Ca­bernet Sauvignon, 41 % Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 1.3,3% vol, Produktion 40.000 Fla-schen. 43 hl/ha. Dichtes Purpurgranat mit schwarzer Mitte und violettem Rand. Ein betôrender Duft nach Schattenmorellen, tiefgründiger Würze und Heidelbeeren zeigt bereits die Grôsse an. lm zweiten Ansatz runden Cassislikbr, Brombeerstauden und Nougatpralinen sowie verführerische Veil-chen das komplexe Bouquet ab. Am Gaumen mit seidiger Textur und perfekt stützenden, bereits abgerundeten Tanninen, hier ist alles am richtigen Platz. Die unglaubliche Frische gibt ihm Hall und Finesse. lm langen Finale katapultiert sich der Wein mit Wildkirsche und Wacholder sowie frischer Bleistiftmine nach ganz oben. Ein ganz grosser, klassi-scher Les Carmes, der gemâss Guillaume Pouthier die gleiche Konzentration wie letz-tes Jahr besitzt und für mich sogar noch über dem hochgelobten Vorjahr liegt. Da-mit setzt sich dieser «Must Buy» knapp vor den Nachbarn Haut-Brion und La Mission auf Platz 1 in der Appellation. Ein sensatio-nettes Ergebnis.           
19.5/20 2027 — 2057

Vinifera

96-98

byJacques Perrinthe5/28/2018

Nez racé, sur les épices, avec un côté floral. Très jolie construction en bouche, fine et ascendante avec un tanin surfin et une belle impression soutenue sur la finale.

Vinous

93-96

byAntonio Gallonithe5/15/2018

The 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is subtle and understated, but it’s all there. Lifted aromatics, bright, red-toned fruit and silky tannins add to the wine's brilliant, chiseled personality. I find the 2017 more precise and nuanced than in the recent past, with less overt power. It's hard to know exactly if the style of the 2017 is a result of the growing conditions of the year, or the result of an evolution in winemaking that includes the introduction of terra cotta, among other things. I certainly get the sense Guillaume Pouthier reined the wine back a bit in 2017. No matter. The end result is all that counts, and in 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is positively stellar. As always, the high percentage of Cabernet Franc and a healthy dollop of whole clusters give Les Carmes an explosive bouquet and plenty of saline-infused energy. A closing flourish of sweet red berry fruit, mint, rose petal and mocha leaves a lasting impression. The 2017 is not an obvious wine, but it sure is gorgeous. Don't miss it! Tasted two times.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

byJeff Levethe5/11/2018

The wine is as dark in fruit as it is in color. This is a nap on Pratesi sheets – a silky, sensuous and richly textured rendezvous. Vibrancy on the palate, creamy tannins and layers of fruit-enhanced strata propel a surfeit of multi-colored fruit. Not quite at the level of the stunning 2016 but very close. The wine was made using 50% whole bunches during fermentation. From a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine reached 13.25% with a pH of 3.59.

Vinous

92-94

byNeal Martinthe5/1/2018

The 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion includes 10% more Cabernet Sauvignon than last year with 45% whole bunch fruit. There is 13.2° alcohol. It is aged in 60% new oak (less than previous years), 30% one-year old oak and 10% amphora that have been baked at 1,200° Celsius instead of 500° Celsius that means there is less oxygen ingress. It has a very pure and strangely, almost Burgundy-like bouquet, perhaps somewhere towards the mid-Côte de Nuits. Dark cherries, wild strawberry, a hint of orange sorbet and later a touch of glycerol. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin and plenty of sappy, black fruit sprinkled with white pepper and bay leaf. As Guillaume Pouthier mentioned in conversation, there is a linearity to this Les Carmes Haut-Brion and one has to admire the precision and focus on the finish. Afford this five or six years in bottle before approaching and you will have a very delicious and distinctive Pessac-Léognan on your hands.

Wine Advocate

91-93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/27/2018

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a little reticent to begin, opening up to fragrant notes of potpourri and oolong tea over a core of crushed red and black currants plus hints of violets, dark chocolate and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied, it has an ambitious palate with firm, grainy tannins slightly masking the elegant fruit, finishing with good length though just a tad chewy.

Decanter.com

94

byJane Ansonthe4/25/2018

Jean-Marc QUARIN

18,5

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/17/2018

Jamessuckling.com

94-95

byJames Sucklingthe4/6/2018

A tight and linear red with a firm and intense, pretty center palate of blackberry and wet-earth character. Full-bodied, reserved and focused. Really compacted.

Wine Spectator

89-92

byJames Molesworththe4/4/2018

Fresh cherry compote flavors and a light cassis thread work together, picking up light savory and iron notes. Shows charming energy, with twinges of spice and tobacco through the finish. Pure, but a bit shy on stuffing in the end.—J.M.