Château LES CARMES HAUT-BRION 2024

Description

Yves Beck 98-99 points www.yvesbeck.wine dégusté le 19.04.2025

8% Bouchet, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot (Bouchet est un synonyme de Cabernet Franc)

52 % de grappes entières pour Carmes 2024. Robe rouge grenat profond aux reflets pourpres. D’entrée, le bouquet affiche de la profondeur et de la subtilité. Il révèle des nuances poivrées, des pivoines, une touche d’eucalyptus et des parfums de myrtilles puis, finalement, un soupçon de bois frais qui fait partie intégrante du caractère olfactif. L’énergie annoncée par le bouquet est fidèlement reflétée en bouche. L’attaque juteuse et friande ouvre la voie à un vin puissant, mené par des tannins compacts, précis, efficaces et poudrés. Ils se révèlent tardivement et génèrent une subtile austérité qui apporte de la fraîcheur, du juteux et de la persistance, suivis d’une touche gourmande en finale. Un vin qui performe autant dans les détails que dans la puissance. Il fait dans la dentelle tout en revendiquant ses aptitudes dédiées à l’haltérophilie. Il marche sur un fil, à l’image d’un funambule musclé, incisif, linéaire et, surtout, serein. L’équilibre, l’authenticité et la persistance : Carmes Haut-Brion !  2030-206

William Kelley 93- 96 points www.erobertparker.com
One of the most impressive wines of the vintage, the 2024 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a striking effort that sets itself apart with seamless integration, even at this early stage, and a strong sense of identity. Poised, precise and unmistakably singular, it opens in the glass with a perfumed bouquet of iris, violet, dark berries, cherries, vine smoke and gentian. Medium to full-bodied, supple and notably fleshy for the vintage, it’s layered and textural, with a sappy, enveloping core of pure, vibrant fruit framed by finely grained, velvety tannins, culminating in a long, precise and gently stemmy finish. This is one of the rare wines of the vintage where sappiness is expressed with such finesse and charm, thanks in no small part to meticulous vineyard work and severe sorting in the winery. The blend is composed of 48% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot, and it’s maturing in a combination of 70% new oak, 19% foudres and 11% amphorae.

Jean-Marc Quarin 95 points www.quarin.com
Couleur sombre et presque noire. Nez intense, fin, pur, fruité et légèrement fumé. Moelleux en entrée de bouche, suave au milieu, avec de la classe dans le toucher, le vin glisse, fond jusqu’en finale où il rebondit profond, un tantinet austère, mais sans se départir de son gras. Persistance normale. Assemblage : 48 % cabernet franc, 29 % cabernet sauvignon, 23 % merlot. Degré d’alcool : 13°5 – pH : 3,61. Vinifié avec 52 % de vendanges entières.

Antonio Galloni 95-97 www.vinous.com
Seamless and silky in the glass, with superb balance, the 2024 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is one of the wines of the vintage. All the elements are so well balanced, always a sign of a superior vintage at this address. Floral notes, spice, leather and mocha run through a core of layered, beautifully persistent dark red fruit. Harvest took place between September 17 and 25, during one of the rare windows with little rain. As always, Les Carmes is done with a high percentage of stems (52%), specifically 100% for the Cabernet Franc, 50% for the Merlot and 20% for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging is 70% new oak barrels, 19% 18HL foudre and 11% amphora. New oak is already very nicely integrated, another sign of a superb vintage. The 2024 is a brilliant effort by the team led by Technical Director Olivier Pouthier.

Neal Martin 94-96 www.vinous.com
The 2024 Les Carmes Haut-Brion contains more Cabernet Franc at 48% of the blend. Picked between September 17 and 27 using 52% whole bunch, this is aged in 70% new barrels, 19% new foudres and 11% amphora. This has impressive fruit concentration on the nose with redcurrant and blackberry fruit, hints of cassis and a dab of dark chocolate. Fine delineation. After time, there is something that nods to the Northern Rhône without losing typicité. The palate is medium-bodied and fresh with fine tannins, a subtle pepperiness imparted by the whole bunches and a tingle of pain d’épices towards the finish. Very harmonious and very delicious, this should provide 20 to 25 years of drinking pleasure. 13.2% abv.

Georgina Hindle 96 points  www.decanter.com (at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, 01 Apr 2025)
This wine presents a perfumed, floral nose with red and pink flowers, transitioning to dark fruit with a pink-purple rim. Cool blue fruit and inky tones define the aromatics. Chalky and bright, it exhibits racy acidity and vibrant energy although remains relatively compact with firm, appealingly grippy tannins. The fruit is pure – cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry – lacking excessive ripeness but offering clarity. Notes of iodine, ink, salt, black pepper, liquorice, and graphite add complexity. Structured and intense yet refined, it avoids heaviness, with fine tannins forming a robust frame. The finish is long, clean, and slightly creamy, with enduring flavours. This really embodies Les Carmes’ chiselled character. With time, it gains sweetness, chewiness, and density, revealing greater depth. 52% whole bunch fermentation. Ageing occurs in 70% new barrels, 19% 18hl vats, and 11% amphorae, with a 3.61pH. Complex, structured, and profound.