Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2019

Le bouquet du 2019 ne manque par de souligner la persistante subtilité de Carmes au fil des années. Ce bouquet est éblouissant de finesse et de pluralité. Il sait allier les nuances florales et fruitées tout en soulignant sa fraîcheur. Le vin est saillant, incisif, équilibré et d’une exceptionnelle fraîcheur. Il annonce un des très grands Carmes des dernières années, mais l’aboutissement n’est pas finalisé. Ça viendra… tôt ou tard, et probablement même tôt… et on passera à trois chiffres…quoiqu’à la rigueur, ce n’est pas vraiment l’essentiel. De toute évidence, le vin est brillant. 2027-2074. Février 2022.

One of my favourite wines in 2019, immediately captivating with a lasting impression. Gorgeous dark purple in the glass with blackcurrant notes, perfumed violets, dark chocolate and hints of truffle - the old-vine Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) giving aromatic intensity on the nose and palate. Succulent straight away with ripe cherry, blood orange and pink grapefruit flavours set against soft, mouthwatering acidity and a lovely saline grip to the tannins. It's rich but just giving delicate hints in each direction of fruit, acidity, freshness, structure, mouthfeel and body. Restrained and poised, with a drinkability that makes you want a glass now, but could happily be enjoyed decades from now. Managing director Guillaume Pouthier said he simply 'Wants to make wine that is drunk' and this is eminently drinkable. A blend of 48% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot. 3.60 pH. 80% ageing in new barrel, 9% amphora, 11% foudre. Stéphane Derenoncourt consultant. Drinking window: 2026 - 2050. Georgina Hindle. January 2022.

Couleur noire, vive et brillante. Nez intense, fin, fruité, subtil, complexe et noble. Nuances d'encre et légèrement fumées. Appétent. Minutieux en entrée de bouche, nuancé au toucher, avec de l'éclat dans la saveur, le vin évolue savoureux, sans cesse caressant, vers une longue finale raffinée au grain de tannin très enrobé. Grande longueur aromatique. Bouteille meilleure décantée que non décantée. Assemblage : 42 % cabernet franc, 31 % cabernet sauvignon, 27 % merlot. A consommer de préférence entre 2032 et 2055. Mars 2022.

The 2019 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has turned out very well in bottle. Mingling aromas of plums and cassis with notions of blood orange, warm spices and new oak, it's full-bodied, velvety and seamless, with an ample core of bright, succulent fruit that's framed by an elegantly muscular chassis of ripe, powdery tannins and lively acids. Concluding with a long, expansive finish, it's reminiscent of a more giving, extroverted version of Pouthier's superb 2016. As is now the rule at this address, some whole bunches were retained during maceration, and the wine saw a long élevage in a variety of vessels, from classic 225-liter Bordeaux barriques to foudres and amphorae. The blend is dominated by 42% Cabernet Franc, complemented by 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot. The irrepressible Guillaume Pouthier has delivered another fine success at this 6.9-hectare Pessac-Léognan estate. Viticulture at this address is rather innovative, with great attention paid to managing hydric stress: soils are worked at night or during the day, and sometimes the cover crop is rolled rather than being cultivated, on a parcel-by-parcel basis, all with a view to creating the necessary hydric deficit for optimal maturation without going too far, causing the vines to shut down. Deleafing (traditionally performed to expose the grapes to sunshine and improve canopy airflow) has been banished to retain fresh, vibrant flavors. And since the 2015 vintage, when the château's new "Noah's Ark" winery was completed, conditions have been fully adapted to Pouthier's methods. Winemaking is rather reductive, featuring important percentages of whole bunches and vinification in tanks where floating lids keep the cap moist and immersed in the fermenting must below; and Pouthier, a Chapoutier alumnus, favors rather long macerations. Élevage of the young wines is long: generally around 24 months—in a mixture of barrels, foudres and ceramic vessels—and extending as long as 30 months in the 2013 vintage, a notable success at this address in the context of a very challenging year. All this is delivering very singular wines (with comparatively moderate alcohol levels, incidentally), without changing Les Carmes Haut-Brion distinctive, Cabernet Franc-driven DNA. Drinking window: 2026 - 2060. William Kelley. April 2022.