Carmes Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2018

Vinous

94

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2022

The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was aged in 75% new oak with a touch more matured in foudres. It includes 55% whole bunches. This has a slight confit-like aroma on the nose, plush cranberry and wild strawberry intermingling with cassis and violet; aromatically, this is the more precocious recent vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine tannins, clean and pure with excellent acidity keeping everything on an even keel towards the finish. The 2018 has a caressing texture and is very persistent. I might quibble and say that I just find the nose a little trop, but the palate is superb. Tasted at the Les Carmes Haut-Brion vertical at the château.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

98

byJane Ansonthe2/7/2022

This powerful, full of complex layers of raspberry, blackberry, smoked earth, rosemary and turmeric spice, but running underneath it all is clear salinity and grip. The personality and poise of this wine overtakes the vintage, not an easy thing to do in a year that is as powerful as 2018 and on a warm site such as Carmes Haut-Brion. Touches of saffron and salt-licked as it opens, sage, freshly grilled dried herbs and gourmet espresso and brioche. Enjoyable. 3.62pH, and harvest at almost 1% ABV higher than you find in the final bottle. Ageing takes place in a mix of 25% new oak, 5% oak casks, and 10% amphoras, with 55% stems during fermentation, and natural yeasts.

Vinous

97

byAntonio Gallonithe3/31/2021

The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total knock-out, just as it was from barrel. Soaring in its aromatic intensity, Les Carmes dazzles from the very first taste. Inky red fruits, mocha, new leather, licorice, dried flowers, sage and mint envelop all the senses. Today, the 2018 appears to be slightly closed, but time brings out tons of aromatic energy and nuance. Cabernet Franc plays the leading role, unusual for this part of the region. Franc aromatics and a fair amount of whole cluster savoriness lend energy but also a feeling of richness without weight that is especially appealing. This is a masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier.

Wine Advocate

96

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/31/2021

The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It was made using 52% whole cluster and has 13.75% alcohol. It was aged in 75% new oak barriques, 16% foudres and 9% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing before bursting from the glass with vibrant scents blackberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, mulberries and Black Forest cake, leading to an undercurrent of pencil lead, black truffles, cast-iron pan and charcoal with an emerging waft of violets. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate dances with red and black fruits before bursting into earth and mineral sparks. It has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory. The stem tannins lend this wine a firmness and textural interest, which should integrate further with another 5-6 years in barrel, allowing the nuances to shine through even more, then you can continue to enjoy its slow evolution for a further 30+ years. 96+

Jeb DUNNUCK

100

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/16/2021

The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty!

The Wine Cellar Insider

98

byJeff Levethe3/16/2021

Aromatically, this beauty kicks off with an array of just picked flowers, smoky, dark red and black fruits, licorice, herbs, wet earth, cigar box, forest leaf, and crushed rocks. Deeply colored, concentrated, full-bodied, elegant, soft, refined and pure on the palate, the seamless finish keeps on going with layers of fresh, ripe, sweet, sensuously textured fruits. The wine is a blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot, 13.75% ABV. This has the potential to age and evolve for 2-3 decades with ease.

Vinous

94

byNeal Martinthe3/12/2021

The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was always going to be a wine that I would leave for 12–24 hours to monitor its evolution. It has a splendid bouquet of a mixture of blackberry, freshly rolled tobacco, autumn leaves and touches of brine. It is classic in style and showcases the Cabernet Franc element supremely well. The palate is in many ways uncompromising. The Cabernet is in full effect: herbaceous, with bell pepper and bitter cherry, quite tannic, and for the vintage, one of the most austere wines you will find in Bordeaux, let alone Pessac-Léognan. I personally find it to my taste, but it is not a wine for hedonists seeking bundles of juicy fruit. An intellectual Les Carmes for sure, one that leaves you pondering in which direction it will age.

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe2/18/2021

The essence of black fruit here, offering blackberry and brambleberry aromas with dried flowers and licorice. Crushed stones and some iodine, as well as nuts. Full-bodied palate that opens and delivers an encompassing mouth feel of fine, creamy tannins. Some whole-berry fermentation. A special wine with elegance and complexity. Try after 2026, but already so in tune.

Yvesbeck.wine

100

byYves Beckthe1/26/2021

Bouquet élégant, complexe aux notes de réglisse suivies d’une touche de café. Avec un peu d’air je relève des nuances de lard grillé. Finalement de classiques notes de violettes, cerises, baies noires et graphite apparaissent et prennent le dessus. Attaque racée, vive, puissante… et fine ! Les tannins se révèlent de manière exceptionnelle, petit à petit le long du palais. Ils ne semblent guère imposants de prime abord et c’est bien là qu’ils se distinguent en gardant le meilleur pour la fin. Ils ont du muscle, de la puissance et de la subtilité, dans la mesure où ils confèrent de la pertinence et non du volume. Ils emballent l’ensemble du palais et commettent même l’affront de recaler l’acidité… il fallait quand-même oser ! L’acidité, justement, accuse bien le coup et ne manque pas de signaler sa présence en entourant la pertinence tannique. La fin de bouche est énergique, dynamique en cumulant fraîcheur, intensité, finesse et persistance. Un vin exceptionnel, je le répète, non pas par sa puissance, mais par son aptitude à juste élever la voix en communiquant des données précises, pointues, en conjuguant puissance et finesse. Carmes Haut Brion brille par sa force tranquille.

Vinous

94-96

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was picked from 13 to 28 September, vinified 52% with whole bunch and pigeage only. It is aged in 75% new oak, 16% Stockinger foudres and 9% terracotta amphorae. I love the aromatics here: intense black cherries, violet, black olive compote and orange blossom, all beautifully delineated and focused, the oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with a structured opening, the whole bunch contribution altering the texture with a slight graininess. Good freshness here, very well balanced with fine tannins and plenty of freshness, this segues into a poised sapid finish with hints of oyster shell on the aftertaste.

WeinWisser

19

byTjark Witzgallthe5/7/2019

Jeb DUNNUCK

96-98

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/1/2019

In the same realm as the magical 2016, the 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion comes from the talented Guillaume Pouthier, who has this estate firing on all cylinders. Checking in as an interesting blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Merlot, and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, it was fermented with roughly 40% stems and is expected to spend 18-24 months in 75% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by an incredibly pure and complex bouquet of sweet cassis, crushed violets, graphite, smoke tobacco, and beautiful minerality. Medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and elegant on the palate, it shows a more vibrant, fresh side to the vintage, has terrific tannin quality, and is simply pure class any way you look at it. I was served the 1945 Carmes-Haut-Brion by Guillaume blind, and it reminded me of a ripe, youthful vintage from Haut-Brion. It certainly didn’t taste like a wine approaching 75 years in age! This is a magical terroir which is being maximized by Pouthier today. Believe the hype.

Vinous

95-98

byAntonio Gallonithe5/1/2019

The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is one of the wines in this vintage that comes very close to its 2016 sibling. A wine of dazzling intensity and stature, Les Carmes Haut-Brion is simply magnificent. Rose petal, wild black cherry, sage, menthol, licorice and dried herbs add myriad shades of complexity to this explosive, dense wine. As always, Les Carmes is done with a fair amount of whole clusters, 40% in this case, but in 2018, the maturity is such that the stems are very well integrated into the wine's fabric. The blend is 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vinifera

98

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Robe sombre. Nez complexe absolument magnifique. Très grande race. La bouche est magistrale, avec une trame épicée et un tanin d'une granulométrie superbe. Finale impressionnate d'énergie et de salinité. La note d'austérité finale le structure.  

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

Caliginous in hue, the wine exudes tobacco, smoke, blackberry, pepper, flowers, and spearmint. On the palate, you'll find density with lift, intensity with complexity, sweetness with verve. The fruit shows a sublime sense of purity, similar to picking grapes off the vine during harvest and eating them right there. The finish matches power with elegance and length. The deep, opulent, mellifluous, mineral accented fruits just don't want to quit and they remain with you for at least 60 seconds. From a blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot and reaching 13.75% alcohol with a pH of 3.61, the wine was made using 55% whole bunches during fermentation. Currently aging in 75% new, French oak barrels, 15% in foudre and 10% in amphora for 18-24 months before bottling. The harvest took place September 13 to September 28.

Wine Advocate

94-96

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It was made using 52% whole cluster and has 13.75% alcohol. It is anticipated to age 18-24 months in 75% new oak barriques, 16% foudres and 9% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is slightly broody and reduced to begin, slowly growing to reveal notions of charcoal, smoked meats, truffles and tilled soil over a core of black raspberries, warm black cherries, blackberry coulis and redcurrant jelly plus wafts of Provence herbs and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and muscular, tense with latent energy, offering a rock-solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness to support the bright, vibrant fruit, finishing long and mineral laced.

Decanter.com

98

byJane Ansonthe4/17/2019

The march of Carmes Haut-Brion continues in 2018. Once again it stands out for a number of reasons: not least because of its high amount of Cabernet Franc, and also because it is made with 53% whole-bunch fermentation - a brave choice by winemaker Guillaume Poutier and one that pays off hugely in terms of balance and lean muscular build. Even without knowing any of the story behind the bottle, you would be hard-pressed to pass this wine by. 

It has obvious intensity but as you sit with it the softness and approachability of the tannins becomes apparent, helped by the inviting floral edge to the nose, adding peony and violet lift. The black fruits running through the palate are tight but silky and seductive - this has a higher Cab count than usual because the Merlots were more affected by the challenges of the vintage. The palate pulses, switching between richness and delicacy, feeling expertly handled. You get the feeling that you can relax - they've got everything covered! It will inevitably close down in a few years, but until then you could almost go for it with a good carafe. 

IPT95. Harvested 13-28 September. 3.58pH. Ageing is mostly in large oak casks, 76% new, plus 9% aged in amphorae.

Wine Enthusiast

92-94

byRoger Vossthe4/17/2019

This wine has bold, ripe black fruits and fine acidity. Its structure shows well through the fruitiness of the wine. This will certainly age well.

Jamessuckling.com

97-98

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

This is really exotic with peaches, oranges and blackberries. Full body, lovely purity of fruit and soft and integrated tannins that are barely detectable. Extremely long and persistent. Savory. White pepper and bark with black-tea and charcoal undertones. Superb complexity. 53 per cent whole-cluster fermentation.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

96

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/8/2019

Wine Spectator

95-98

byJames Molesworththe4/3/2019

This throws off a stream of cassis, cherry preserves and raspberry fruit that is pure and bright, laced with a racy mineral edge through the finish. Stands apart from the pack for its purity and finesse. Really beautiful.