Wine Advisor
Les Carmes Haut Brion 2003
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The final blend of 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon tipped the scales at 13.5% natural alcohol. The wine exhibits notes of unsmoked cigar tobacco, scorched earth, red and black currants, and is elegant, tasty and fully mature. It is just beginning to dry out, so consume it over the next 3-4 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
En primeur April 2005. The nose is closed and did not reveal its character despite much swirling of the glass. But the palate was very pretty in a Margaux like way. Good concentration, quite modern in style with lots of new oak. Lacks a little grip on the finish. Quite flashy. Certainly one of the better wines from this region. Then after bottling in October 2005: a backward nose with faint aromas of tobacco, leather and a touch of stalkiness. The palate is better with well-knit, toasty fruits, smooth texture and an attractive purity. Low acidity make this a forward drinking Les Carmes. Fine.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This little bijou (jewel-like treasure) has fashioned a light, fragrant, pretty 2003. Readers looking for intensely colored, blockbuster, powerful clarets should stay clear of the finesse-styled Les Carmes Haut-Brion. It reveals a dark ruby color along with delicious aromas of forest floor, ferns, tobacco leaves, and sweet cherry as well as currant fruit. Fragrant, medium-bodied, and already complex, it will drink well young, and last for 10-12 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Readers looking for Bordeaux at its most elegant with a strong Cabernet Franc personality, a la Cheval Blanc, should check out the finesse-filled, delicate offerings from Les Carmes Haut-Brion, a little treasure tucked beside Chateau Haut-Brion in the Bordeaux suburb known as Pessac. These wines are often difficult to judge young as they appear light in their youth, but tend to put on weight with elevage and bottle age. Tasted on three separate occasions (consistently rated between 89 and 90), the 2003 could be called the “Cheval Blanc of Pessac.” Extremely aromatic, it offers smoky, earthy, sweet black cherry, plum, and fig-like notes as well as a sweet, round mouthfeel, medium body, delicate tannins, a fragile constitution, and beautiful complexity. Irresistible at present, if it puts on weight, it will merit an outstanding rating. Anticipated maturity: now-2017.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr Vintner’s Left Bank tasting. The Les Carmes Haut-Brion sports a clean mulberry, pomegranate and earthy bouquet with decent definition, though not complex with touches of volatility showing through. The palate has a sharp entry, better definition here with firm backbone, leading to an austere, savoury finish that turns more peppery with aeration. Moderate length. Not bad but not a keeper. Tasted October 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Performing better than it did last year, the 2003 Les Carmes Haut-Brion appears to have added weight, but this is still an offering to enjoy for its complex, ethereal aromas of blue and black fruits, smoky herbs, cigar tobacco, earth, and spice. Its complex aromatics are followed by a medium-bodied wine with impressive ripeness, some sweet plum, cherry, and earthy notes, low acidity, and a spicy, heady finish. It doesn’t quite have the complexity of the 1998 or 2000 but reveals a nice sweetness, softness and delicacy. It should drink well for 12-15 years, possibly longer.
About the Producer
Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion is located in the Pessac-Leognan (Pessac-Leognan) production area on the left bank of Bordeaux. It was once part of Chateau Haut-Brion, one of the five famous wineries in Bordeaux. In 1584, Jean De Pontac, the 101-year-old old manor owner and founder of Chateau Haut Brion, donated the water mill in the manor and its surrounding small pastures and vineyards to the Carmes de Notre-Dame Abbey, officially opening Chateau Les Carmes History of Haut-Brion. At the beginning of the acquisition, the winery only owned 4.7 hectares of vineyards, but now the vineyard has expanded to 10 hectares. Made up of gravel, clay and sand. Planted are Cabernet Franc (39%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Merlot (41%).A small Peugue stream in the winery is the cool stream flowing under the new wine cellar. It creates a microclimate exclusive to Ritz-Carlton and gives Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion the most refined and elegant charm.
1987(2)1999(3)2000(2)2002(1)
Package Size
