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: 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan

2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1356341 96 points Vinous

Outer quote mark One of the real highlights of the vintage, the 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion possesses off the charts aromatic intensity and tremendous depth. An exotic mélange of sweet tobacco, menthol, rose petal, licorice, dried herbs and sweet dark fruit builds in a wine endowed with extraordinary beauty. Energetic and vibrant to the core, Les Carmes Haut-Brion was magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. Don't miss it. (AG) Inner quote mark (3/2020)

94 points Decanter

Outer quote mark This is gorgeous: peony and iris aromas alongside cocoa-dusted black fruits. A saline note gives a mouthwatering finish. Opens up with time in the glass, and is hugely persistent. There is austerity, as you’d expect with high Cabernet levels, but the energy to the tannins bodes well for ageing. (JA) Inner quote mark (5/2018)

94 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark Offering an Haut-Brion-like level of purity and precision, the 2017 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion (41% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon) sports a vivid purple color as well as perfumed notes of blueberries, blackberries, unsmoked tobacco, crushed violets, and spring flowers. It’s not a blockbuster in the mold of the 2015 or 2016 (or 2018), but it has medium to full body, a beautiful elegance and purity, notable minerality, and an exceptional finish. It opens up with time in the glass, and I was able to follow a bottle for 3 days without it ever showing a hint of oxidation. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 30 years or more. Guillaume Pouthier and consultant Stephane Derenoncourt have unquestionably raised the quality from this estate, and this 2017 ranks with the gems of Pessac as well as all of Bordeaux. Inner quote mark (2/2020)

94 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark Aromas of graphite and spiced wood here. The fruit is nicely ripe, in the redder end of the berry spectrum. The palate has good depth and weight. Quite fine, fresh tannins carry plenty of red-plum flavor. Inner quote mark (1/2020)

93 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Composed of 41% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was fermented using 40% whole clusters and aged for around 20 months in French oak barrels, 65% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple, it springs from the glass with fragrant notions of Black Forest cake, kirsch and black raspberries plus touches of cedar chest, red roses, black tea and dried mint. Medium bodied, the palate struts itself with great elegance and poise, featuring restrained, mineral-sparked red and black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. (LPB) 93+ Inner quote mark (3/2020)

89-92 points Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark Fresh cherry compote flavors and a light cassis thread work together, picking up light savory and iron notes. Shows charming energy, with twinges of spice and tobacco through the finish. Pure, but a bit shy on stuffing in the end. (JM) Inner quote mark (4/2018)

Jancis Robinson

Outer quote mark Deep crimson. Dark, almost charry, and quite closed at first. Invitingly dark and savoury, stony/mineral. Tannins are really supple and the wine flows across the palate, elegant and harmonious. Delicious already – though not really ready – but should age gracefully. (JH) 17/20 Inner quote mark (10/2019)

K&L Notes

93 points Neal Martin for Vinous: "The 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was impressive from barrel. It includes 52% whole bunch, the same as in 2016, matured in 70% new oak with 10% in amphora and 20% in foudres. Now in bottle it sports a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, hints of lavender coming through with aeration. I appreciate the precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and quite harmonious. A precise blackberry, tea leaf and clove tinged finish does retain a Burgundy-like allure, the same that I found in barrel." (02/2020)

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2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan

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By: Ryan Moses | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 4/20/2018 | Send Email

Pessac 2017s that had a good chunk of Cab Franc tended to shine in early tastings where others struggled - such was the case for Carmes Haut Brion (41% this vintage). The aroma is pure cassis where the palate is clean, elegant, and packed with red fruit (strawberry, cherry), tobacco, and very fine tannins. One of those under-the-radar properties that took a big turn for the better in 2014, the 2017 caps off a string of four very fine vintages for Carmes. Drink 2021 to 2032.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

Specific Appellation:

Pessac-Leognan/Graves

- Graves is the large red and white wine region located to the southeast of the city of Bordeaux along the Garonne River. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the red wines from the area, while the whites are mixtures of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The most important area within the Graves is the village of Pessac-Leognan. Most of the great chateaux, including Haut Brion, a premier cru and the only wine outside of the Medoc to be included in the 1855 Classification, are located in this small appellation. Graves derives its name from the rocky, stony terrain of the region. Many people believe that the stony soil radiates the day's heat at night and thus makes the grapes ripen earlier than the other regions in Bordeaux.