Les Carmes Haut Brion 2012

robert_parker91

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 2012 seems to be a move in that direction. A blend of 44% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, it tips the scales at 14.1% alcohol. Only 53% of the crop made it into the grand vin as they have introduced a second wine called Les Clos des Carmes. The medium-bodied, fragrant 2012 Les Carmes Haut Brion offers lots of unsmoked cigar tobacco, red and black currant, scorched earth and toasty notes. This wine, which is now being looked after by Guillaume Pouthier, whom I met when working with Michel Chapoutier in Tain l’Hermitage, has considerable talent, so readers take note. This 2012 possesses impressive purity and density along with its tell-tale elegance and finesse. It should drink well for 10-15 years. This property changed proprietors several years ago and is now owned by a Bordeaux real estate magnate who appears to be committed to pushing Les Carmes Haut-Brion up to the level of its nearby neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion – a courageous as well as expensive proposition.

robert_parker92

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted from a barrel sample at en primeur. The Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 38% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Merlot. It has a fine, gravelly bouquet with well-defined black fruit and well-integrated oak. It unfurls nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. This is actually more structured and masculine that I expected. Classic Pessac-Leognan with a touch of chewiness and sinew on the finish, a second sample tasted one week after the first exhibited the persistency and depth that the first lacked. This could be a very fine Les Carmes after bottling. Tasted April 2013.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

An inky, bluish-black color, this wine has deep black raspberry and blueberry notes mixed with charcoal, graphite and subtle smoke. Rich, full-bodied and silky textured, this complex, stunning Pessac-Léognan from this tiny jewel of a vineyard near Haut Brion is hitting all the high notes in 2012. It should drink well for 15-20. This is another bottled wine that dramatically out-performed its barrel sample.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

A powerful, intense wine, the 2012 Les Carmes Haut-Brion exudes richness and depth. Game, smoke, tobacco, grilled herbs, black cherries and incense are some of the signatures. This explosive, powerful Pessac is going to need time to settle down, but it is exceptionally beautiful, even at this very early stage. Les Carmes Haut-Brion is marked by its high percentage of Cabernet Franc (38%) which is unusual in this part of Pessac, and its fabulous terroir. All of that is on full display here. Don't miss it!

vinous91

Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata

(44% merlot, 38% cabernet franc and 18% cabernet sauvignon; 14% alcohol; 53% selection for the grand vin): Saturated ruby with purple highlights. Dark plum, blackberry, ink and minerals on the knockout nose. Silky and deep for 2012, but with no shortage of underlying structure. Quite full and complex, with sneaky concentration and building sweetness to the mineral, dark berry and floral flavors. Finishes with superb persistence, very fine tannins and a delicate herbal nuance. This is impressively silky for the year, and one of the best Les Carmes in memory, although I would have preferred just a little less alcohol. Les Carmes was purchased in December 2010 by Patrice Pichet, one of France's leading real estate developers, based in Bordeaux. At the time, the purchase price of 3.8 million Euros per hectare (18 million for the total property) set a new record for vineyard land in Bordeaux. Pichet is surrounded by talent: the régisseur is Guillaume Pouthier, recruited from Chapoutier, while Stéphane Derenoncourt and Simon Blanchard consult. Incidentally, the estate's second wine, Le Clos des Carmes, from younger vines on argilo-calcaire soils (as opposed to the graves of Les Carmes Haut-Brion), is also sweet and successful in 2012, and is one of the few second wines from this vintage that really deserves consumer attention.

vinous90

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2012 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was the first vintage with whole bunches (40%) and 18 months in barrel. It was the introductory vintage under current winemaker Guillaume Pouthier. This is much more enticing on the nose after the 2011: well-defined black cherries, cola, peppermint, light rose petal scents and a hint of marmalade that emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, more freshness and tension than the 2011, and frankly, you would never be able to tell there was whole bunch here. This appears to be maturing with style and panache, but it will give another decade or more of drinking pleasure. Tasted at the Les Carmes Haut-Brion vertical at the château.

vinous93

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2012 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has a classic tobacco and pencil lead bouquet, well-defined with ample black fruit. Just a little old school in style, but in the positive sense. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, good weight, smooth and harmonious with a caressing finish, touches of allspice and graphite on the aftertaste. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.