2015 | Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion | Pessac-Leognan 18L

Very polished and poised with an immensely powerful core of tannin that drives incredible length on the palate. Fruits are deep in the dark-berry spectrum, encapsulating a terrific sense of freshness through the finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2015 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 24 months in 80% new and 20% one-year-old oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has pronounced notes of crushed black and red currants, warm blackberries and black pepper with touches of cedar chest, pencil lead and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, very fine and with plenty of black and red fruit layers, it has a plush backbone and seamless acid, finishing earthy.

• Decanter: I loved this at en primeur, and again it is fully delivering on its promise. It has a high proportion of Cabernet Franc for a Pessac Leognan wine, which can make it a bit austere early on, but it has now had two years to fatten up. Layers of chocolate enrobed tannins and dark bilberry and cassis fruits make this a classically-styled wine, still taut but not so austere. Great wine with long ageing potential.

Producer Information

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a Bordeaux estate that was once part of the famed First Growth Château Haut-Brion. Situated in Pessac-Léognan, in the southwestern outskirts of Bordeaux town and on the "left bank" of the Garonne river, the vineyards and wines are Merlot and Cabernet Franc dominant with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon – an uncommon ratio for the commune. Located in the heart of the oldest part of Bordeaux, it is the only château located within the bounaries of Bordeaux and therefore, is one of the last enclosed urban vineyards of the region. In the 16th Century, Jean de Pontac owned the Haut-Brion property. The historically much larger grounds encompassed the estates of the modern Pessac-Léognan châteaux Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, Laville Haut-Brion, La Tour Haut-Brion and Les Carmes Haut-Brion. The Les Carmes property was created when Pontac donated a mill and its surrounding property to a mission of the Carmelite Order in 1584. The Carmelites owned and tended the property for two centuries, recognized in the modern château's name of Les Carmes. After the French Revolution, the estate was run by the Chantecaille-Furt family for generations. In 2010, Les Carmes was bought by Groupe Pichet, a Bordeaux real estate company, for roughly US$25 million – a record-breaking price for the region at the time at more than US$5m per hectare. Under new ownership the property has been expanded significantly, from 4.7 to 29.6 hectares (12 to 73 acres), most of which is under vine. Planted almost evenly to Cabernet Franc and Merlot (39 and 41 percent, respectively), it has arguably the highest proportion of Cabernet Franc in any Pessac-Léognan vineyard. Soil types here are gravel dating from the Mindel glaciation on a clay-limestone bedrock. The estate produces a second wine, formerly called Clos de Carmes, now titled Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion. Prior to bottling, the wines are barrel-aged for 18 to 24 months in up to 30 percent new french oak. The estate employs famed Bordeaux winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt as a consultant.

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