Les Carmes Haut Brion- Angry Wine Merchant Les Carmes Haut Brion- Angry Wine Merchant 2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Les Carmes Haut Brion- Angry Wine Merchant
Les Carmes Haut Brion- Angry Wine Merchant
2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion
2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion
2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion

2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion

Red Bordeaux Blend

France / Bordeaux / Graves / Pessac-Leognan

$795
JD 97
RP 99
V 96
Size:
Quantity:

2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, France

This was a year of… ... Involvement. Humility. Responsiveness. Delicacy.
Autumn was slow to set in, with the first cold spells and little water. Fortunately, the days didn’t fail to shorten and the vines quietly entered the winter. A calm, cool and fairly dry winter.
Early mild weather in March. A few shivers at bud burst, then rain. Mild and humid. One, the other or both. It took exceptional presence on the part of the team of winegrowers to act with decisive precision and speed. For us, this is the only way to take care of our vines: to be there, to observe and to act to the nearest millimetre, minute by minute.
At the end of the summer, the vintage mapped out more clearly. Harvest conditions were fine, so we could be completely flexible in our choices to express the uniqueness of each of these little places that make up the wines of Les Carmes.
In the cellar, we went even further with infusion - submerged cap vinification. We have entered a new phase with the use of tailor-made tools, based on our experiments with extraction in recent vintages. As for ageing, the further we go, the more we are willing to abandon a set protocol in favour of a different approach for each wine, depending on its profile and progress. Choosing not to choose... in advance.
Embracing this complexity. We plan to let ourselves be surprised, to taste what the wines have to say to us, to bring them to the bottle with the right touch, for several more exciting months.

Full-bodied to tubular, the wines are now stretching out. Freshness and drinkability the watchwords. Explosive delicacy, mineral finesse, sappy, resinous atmosphere, notes of iris and violet, elderflower, black and tangy. 
Harvest dates: 11 to 25 Sept. 2023
Whole bunches: 60%
Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc,
30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
Analysis: 13.5% alc. vol. - pH 3.62
Ageing (in progress): 70% new barrels,
20% vats of 18hl, 10% amphoras.

JD 97

Jeb Dunnuck

As to the Grand Vin 2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, this beauty checks in as 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot that was fermented with 60% whole cluster, brought up in 70% new barrels, with a good portion in foudre and amphora. It has a deep ruby/purple hue and vibrant aromatics of cassis and black cherries as well as leafy tobacco, spring flowers, woodsmoke, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it stays tight and compact on the palate, with a lively spine of acidity, beautiful precision and focus, ripe yet certainly present tannins, and outstanding length. It’s incredibly elegant, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this gain mid-palate density over the course of its élevage. It’s going to be long-lived. Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck, Issue date: August 2024. Drinking window: .
RP 99

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Guillaume Pouthier and his team have once again crafted one of Bordeaux's most unique and characterful wines. Revealing aromas of mulberries and raspberries mingled with notions of vine smoke, orange zest, rose petals and spices, the 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated, with a powerful, vibrant and complete mid-palate, concluding with a long, ethereal and mouthwateringly saline finish. Sensual, suave and seamless, its beautifully refined tannins are, analytically, more abundant than even those of the 2022 vintage, yet they are so brilliantly integrated as to be near-imperceptible. This blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot is crafted for longevity, though its refined structure will make it surprisingly approachable at an early age. It's maturing 70% in new oak barrels, 20% in 18-hectoliter foudres and 10% in amphorae. A creditable yield of 50 hectoliters per hectare represents a decided agronomic success in what was a challenging growing season. Reviewed by Yohan Castaing, Issue date: April 2024. Drinking window: 2025 - 2065.
V 96

Vinous

The 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is increasingly a wine of seamlessness. Whereas the various components were once easily discernible, today Carmes is most often a wine of total beauty. The 2023 is a bit shy, especially in its aromatics. In other words, a pretty big departure from so many other recent vintages that have been far showier at this stage. Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier explains that he plans to give the 2023 longer aging, around 24-26 months, so he approached vinification and the early part of aging in a more reductive style than in the past. As always, Les Carmes is marked by its strong presence of Cabernet Franc and use of whole clusters, but as mentioned above, those signatures are less immediately evident than they once were. Les Carmes has been one of Bordeaux's stars over the last few years. I can't wait to see how the 2023 turns out. Reviewed by Antonio Galloni, Issue date: April 2024. Drinking window: 2035 - 2073.

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SHIPPING: During warm summer weather, we recommend to only ship within the United States with Same Day or Next Day Air service to protect the wines from environmental damage. If you would like to waive this protection by shipping Ground, we will request a waiver be signed.

PACKAGING: Our premium wines need optimal temperature consistency, therefore are packaged in EPS foam shippers with gel pack (when needed) and shipped only during ideal weather temperatures.

For OWC (Original Wooden Case) orders, wine bottles will be removed from case and shipped inside a foam shipper box for safety (unless otherwise requested). The wooden case will be shipped separately at Ground service. If faster service is necessary please contact us.

WEATHER HOLD: In adverse temperature conditions, we reserve the right to withhold shipment until ideal temperatures return unless we receive explicit instructions via email to release the wines, voiding any guarantee. We will contact you if a hold is necessary.

FULFILLMENT: Shipments are via UPS.

  • Orders received Monday - Thursday before 2:00 p.m. will typically ship the same day.
  • Orders received Thursday 2:00 p.m. ~ Sunday will ship on Monday.

DELIVERY:

  • Same Day service within Los Angeles Metro area may be available if order is placed before noon, but not guaranteed. Please contact us directly at (626)714-7006 to facilitate expedited service.
  • During extreme temperatures, all shipments are recommended for Next Day Air.

Adult Signature: By law, all shipments of alcohol must be received and authorized by an adult. Our delivery carriers will not release packages without an adult signature and additional charges may be incurred if the package requires withholding or redirection.

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We ship within the United States to: Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), and Wyoming (WY).

  • CRITICAL REVIEWS
  • WINEMAKER NOTES
JD 97

Jeb Dunnuck

As to the Grand Vin 2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, this beauty checks in as 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot that was fermented with 60% whole cluster, brought up in 70% new barrels, with a good portion in foudre and amphora. It has a deep ruby/purple hue and vibrant aromatics of cassis and black cherries as well as leafy tobacco, spring flowers, woodsmoke, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it stays tight and compact on the palate, with a lively spine of acidity, beautiful precision and focus, ripe yet certainly present tannins, and outstanding length. It’s incredibly elegant, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this gain mid-palate density over the course of its élevage. It’s going to be long-lived. Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck, Issue date: August 2024. Drinking window: .
RP 99

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Guillaume Pouthier and his team have once again crafted one of Bordeaux's most unique and characterful wines. Revealing aromas of mulberries and raspberries mingled with notions of vine smoke, orange zest, rose petals and spices, the 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated, with a powerful, vibrant and complete mid-palate, concluding with a long, ethereal and mouthwateringly saline finish. Sensual, suave and seamless, its beautifully refined tannins are, analytically, more abundant than even those of the 2022 vintage, yet they are so brilliantly integrated as to be near-imperceptible. This blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot is crafted for longevity, though its refined structure will make it surprisingly approachable at an early age. It's maturing 70% in new oak barrels, 20% in 18-hectoliter foudres and 10% in amphorae. A creditable yield of 50 hectoliters per hectare represents a decided agronomic success in what was a challenging growing season. Reviewed by Yohan Castaing, Issue date: April 2024. Drinking window: 2025 - 2065.
V 96

Vinous

The 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is increasingly a wine of seamlessness. Whereas the various components were once easily discernible, today Carmes is most often a wine of total beauty. The 2023 is a bit shy, especially in its aromatics. In other words, a pretty big departure from so many other recent vintages that have been far showier at this stage. Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier explains that he plans to give the 2023 longer aging, around 24-26 months, so he approached vinification and the early part of aging in a more reductive style than in the past. As always, Les Carmes is marked by its strong presence of Cabernet Franc and use of whole clusters, but as mentioned above, those signatures are less immediately evident than they once were. Les Carmes has been one of Bordeaux's stars over the last few years. I can't wait to see how the 2023 turns out. Reviewed by Antonio Galloni, Issue date: April 2024. Drinking window: 2035 - 2073.

2023 Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, France

This was a year of… ... Involvement. Humility. Responsiveness. Delicacy.
Autumn was slow to set in, with the first cold spells and little water. Fortunately, the days didn’t fail to shorten and the vines quietly entered the winter. A calm, cool and fairly dry winter.
Early mild weather in March. A few shivers at bud burst, then rain. Mild and humid. One, the other or both. It took exceptional presence on the part of the team of winegrowers to act with decisive precision and speed. For us, this is the only way to take care of our vines: to be there, to observe and to act to the nearest millimetre, minute by minute.
At the end of the summer, the vintage mapped out more clearly. Harvest conditions were fine, so we could be completely flexible in our choices to express the uniqueness of each of these little places that make up the wines of Les Carmes.
In the cellar, we went even further with infusion - submerged cap vinification. We have entered a new phase with the use of tailor-made tools, based on our experiments with extraction in recent vintages. As for ageing, the further we go, the more we are willing to abandon a set protocol in favour of a different approach for each wine, depending on its profile and progress. Choosing not to choose... in advance.
Embracing this complexity. We plan to let ourselves be surprised, to taste what the wines have to say to us, to bring them to the bottle with the right touch, for several more exciting months.

Full-bodied to tubular, the wines are now stretching out. Freshness and drinkability the watchwords. Explosive delicacy, mineral finesse, sappy, resinous atmosphere, notes of iris and violet, elderflower, black and tangy. 
Harvest dates: 11 to 25 Sept. 2023
Whole bunches: 60%
Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc,
30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
Analysis: 13.5% alc. vol. - pH 3.62
Ageing (in progress): 70% new barrels,
20% vats of 18hl, 10% amphoras.

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