2018 Le C de Carmes Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
Tasted from a half-bottle. Aromatically, this is quite open and pure and is still pretty primary: ripe, juicy blackcurrant and plum, with green bell pepper in the background. Quite open and pure. (JRL)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion contains 30% whole bunches and spent two years in barrel (30% new) and the third year in concrete vat before release. It has a clearly delineated bouquet: brambly black fruit, incense and wild hawthorn. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, harmonious though not deep. Certainly a light style given the vintage, this feels fresh, slightly Bandol-like in a pleasurable way with quite a persistent finish. Very drinkable. Tasted at the Les Carmes Haut-Brion vertical at the château.
The 2018 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion is matured in 70% one-year old oak and 30% new oak. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, boysenberry, fig and light aromas of black olive, well defined with good intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with grain tannin and good acidity. The 30% whole bunch lends the finish freshness and a slight briney note. Give this three or four years in bottle before broaching.
A rich and earthy red with blackberries and dark chocolate. Dusty and smoky. Round-textured with plenty of fruit and tannin. Tile. Brick. Juicy and savory. 25 per cent whole-cluster fermentation and maceration. 61 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 37 per cent merlot and 2 per cent petit verdot.
About the producer
One of the most exciting properties in Bordeaux, Les Carmes Haut-Brion technically sits within the city’s limits today. Guillaume Pouthier arrived in 2012 and, under his tenure, the property has been elevated to the highest ranks.