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Robert Parker Wine Advocate
2020 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan, France
Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Among the classic elegance of Pessac-Léognan, the Carmes top wine has carved out its own niche. Unprecedented proportions of Cabernet Franc offer a silky power which is then supported by the intensity of Cabernet Sauvignon. Within this structure, Merlot develops rounded and refined fruitiness: balance is the order of the day, ensuring a style that is complex and delicious in equal measures.
Assemblage :
40% Cabernet Franc
34% Cabernet Sauvignon
26% Merlot
VINEYARDS
Surface area planted in 2020: 30.75 ha.
Plots used to make the Grand Vin: 7.60 ha.
Plantation density: 10,000 vines / ha.
Average age of the vines in 2020: 43 years-old
Soil types: Mindel graves on clay and limestone
Harvesting: 100% hand-picked
Harvest dates: 14th September – 26th September 2020
VINIFICATION TECHNIQUES
Vats used: Thermoregulated tanks: Tronconic stainless steel tanks (60Hl) • Wooden tanks (76 Hl) • Concrete tanks (50 Hl)
Initial fermentation: 35 days
Malolactic fermentation in the barrels: Partial
Barrel maturing: 80% new oak barrels 11% foudres 9% terracotta amphorae
Duration: 24 months
Noteworthy features of the vinification and / or maturing processes: All vats vinified without crushing, and partly by whole bunch fermentation.
Composition of the wine: 13.5% alc. / 3.62 pH