Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion 2015

ANTONIO GALLONI: "Once again, Les Carmes Haut-Brion stakes its place as one of the most distinctive wines being made in Bordeaux. The 2015 exudes richness, power and intensity. Layers of dark red stone fruit, cedar, tobacco, smoke and pomegranate build as the wine shows off its voluptuous personality. Les Carmes Haut-Brion stands out for many reasons, including its high percentage of Cabernet Franc, which is unusual in Pessac. In 2015, winemaker Guillaume Poutier also added a dollop of whole clusters to give the wine more aromatic lift. The use of whole clusters is of course quite common in Burgundy and the Rhône (were Poutier formerly made the wines at Chapoutier), but is very rarely seen in Bordeaux. This full-throttle Pessac will drink well for decades, but it also needs time to shed some of its considerable baby fat. The blend is 44% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. Simon Blanchard is the consulting winemaker. Tasted three times."

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. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040"

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, feinwürzig unterlegte attraktive schwarze Beerenfrucht, zart nach Oliven, ein Hauch von Feigen und Gewürzen, schokoladiger Touch. Saftig, gute Komplexität, angenehme Extraktsüße, seidige Tannine, anhaltend, zeigt bereits eine tolle Länge, vielversprechendes Potenzial."

JAMES SUCKLING: "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. Great wine. Try from 2024."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Much juicier than most. Very alive and vibrant."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2015 is an interesting blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon that saw a fair amount of whole clusters in the fermentation and 90% of the blend brought up in barrel and the rest in amphoras. Its deep purple color is followed by a beautiful perfumed of ripe currant and plums fruits, chocolate, ground herbs, and damp earth. With full-bodied richness, terrific ripeness, building tannin, and an underlying sense of elegance and purity that only grows with time in the glass, it needs 4-5 years of cellaring but is going to cruise in the cellar for 3-4 decades."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This is a stunner. It's hard to find a place to start. You have silky, sensuous, refined textures. A complex melange of aromatics that display smoke, oyster shell, tobacco, and fresh, ripe, just picked flowers and dark red fruits. Or perhaps you focus on the long fresh, ripe, lingering, fruit filled finish. Either way, the wine rocks! For the price this is still selling for, you should be all over this treat!"

THE WINEADVOCATE: "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."

WEINWISSER: "Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Das Bouquet ist fast nur schwarzbeerig, dazu dunkles Malz, Pumpernickel, Rauch, Amarenakirschen, exotische Hölzer und Korinthen – sehr tiefgründig. Im Gaumen ein Ausbund von Süsse, geschmeidiger, dicht gebündelter Körper, geniale Länge mit viel Cabernetwürze. Das Weingut beweist auch hier wieder seinen exorbitanten Höhenflug seit dem Besitzerwechsel. A must-buy! Die hohe Punktezahl ist die gute Nachricht. Die schlechte: die Ernte ist extrem klein. Es liegt momentan 30 % weniger im Keller."

WINESPECTATOR: "Dense and broad, with warm dark plum, fig and blackberry confiture flavors rolling over one another, backed by a broad swath of tar and roasted apple wood. This is packed with serious grip, featuring bramble, licorice snap and intense sweet tobacco notes on the back end, all of which combine with the fruit for a powerfully rendered finish. Distinct and impressive. Best from 2025 through 2040."