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Les Carmes Haut Brion 2016 75cl

AOC | Graves, Pessac-Léognan | Bordeaux | France
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Critics scores
96 Vinous
The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion offers finely tuned blackberry and briar aromas, and hints of cigar box and wild mint emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and well-defined, leading into a fine-boned, classically styled and quite persistent finish. There is clearly some top-notch winemaking behind this deeply impressive Pessac-Léognan. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
96 Wine Spectator
This offers alluring waves of ganache-tinged plum sauce, blackberry reduction and steeped açaí fruit flavors, while tobacco and singed mesquite notes hang in the background. Shows a lovely bramble echo through the finish, with the fruit easily keeping pace. This has range, distinctive mouthfeel and serious length. There's a new player officially in the Pessac game... Best from 2023 through 2038. 3,333 cases made. — JM
95 Robert Parker
The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 65% new and 35% one-year-old oak for 22 months. This is one of the largest percentages of Cabernet Franc for this wine this vintage. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it gives notes of kirsch, black raspberries and black plums with touches of cassis, violets, chocolate box and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy and lively with loads of layers and a long, well-poised finish.
Producer
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
One of the jewels of the Bordeaux wine country, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion has nearly five hectares of vines in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. It is located just southwest of the city of Bordeaux, like its neighbor, Château Haut-Brion. From 1584 to 1789, Les Carmes Haut-Brion belonged to the Carmelite religious order, which accounts for the origin of its name. After the French Revolution, the property was acquired by Bordeaux négociants, the Chantecaille family, and then sold in late 2010 to Patrimoniale du Groupe Pichet, who were seeking to diversify. Surrounded by the city, the property benefits from a mild microclimate, one that is less susceptible to frost and more conductive to ripening. Its unique holding is split by the Le Peugue stream, which is now home to Les Carmes Haut-Brion’s brand-new cellar. Completed in 2016, the new cellar was designed by the famous Philippe Starck, and talented architect, Luc Arsène-Henry, the symbolic structure spreads over 2,000 meters squared despite its seemingly small exterior. Using matrix concrete, glass and metal, the building stands 4-levels tall - accommodating both the barrel cellar, and the under-water castle cellar, as well as the grape harvest-reception-room, the tasting room, and their impressive terrace - that offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire estate. Its boldly inspired shape cuts through the water evoking Bordeaux’s past time – when the great wines were all transported by boat. Complemented by its reflective walls - the urban terroir and natural light are beautifully mirrored in its façade - making the new cellar a harmonious naturally inspired structure.