Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2016

Overview of the Wine
Patrice Pichet acquired the Carmes estate in late 2010. This investment had a hint of challenge about it, of course, but it was also driven by a genuine passion for wine harbouring the highest ambitions. 

The new winery, designed by Philippe Starck and Luc Arsène-Henry, which opened in 2016, marked the start of a new era for the chateau. Combining art with state-of-the-art equipment, it embodies a new pursuit of excellence.

Winemaker
Patrice Pichet 

Grape / Blend
41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
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.

2016 was a year of contrasts, starting with a mild and rainy winter followed by a spring which remained gloomy right up until late June. The growing cycle was delayed accordingly, but flowering occurred during a precious spell of dry weather which ensured that the fruit was plentiful and of consistent quality. Summer was exceptionally dry, with no rain on over 100 days throughout 2016, halting the growth of the vines in time for the grapes to mature perfectly. A welcome dose of rain in early September tempered this maturing process at just the right time, without sacrificing the concentration accrued over the hot, dry summer. Finally, a dry and mild start to the autumn gave us an exceptionally generous amount of room for manoeuvre when it came to selecting the right harvest dates. These conditions have combined to produce wines of rich colour and dazzling aromatic power, whose balance of tannins, acidity and smooth texture will make for both short-term pleasure and long-term joy.

99 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice.

99 Points - The Wine Cellar Insider
The initial blast of crushed rock, salty tannins and pure, deep, red fruits is all it takes to get hooked here. The nose, with its smoky, cigar box, flowers, leafy herbs, wet earth and sweet cherry notes might have started the show, but it is the intensity and purity in the fruit on the palate, with the 50 second finish that makes it all work. This is a star in the making! I am pointing this out because even though this vintage seems to have doubled in price since we initially raved about it, for a wine of this quality, it is well worth the price. 99 Points

97 Points - James Suckling
Terrific ripeness, depth and complexity on offer here. This has a very attractive array of bright, ripe blueberries and cassis with some leafy and earthy notes. The palate has a quite deep, long and vibrant array of perfectly ripe dark plums and blueberries. So good. Best vintage this decade. Try from 2023.

96 Points - Vinous
The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is consistent with previous bottles. It soars from the glass with those (to use a word I used last time) disarming array of blackberry, iris, and fig aromas, but displaying a little more blue fruit than I recall. The palate is very well balanced with a velvety texture, pure with just a hint of black pepper. Interestingly, the 65% whole bunches are barely noticeable, just a guiding hand that shapes the finish. Sapid yet tender, this is an outstanding Pessac-Léognan. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Icons of Bordeaux dinner at Legacy Records in New York.

95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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 vintage represents one of the largest percentages of Cabernet Franc for this wine. 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.

Product size: 750ml