C Des Carmes Haut Brion 2018 (750ML)

94 JS / 91-93 WA / 92 WI / 90-92 VM / 91 DE

This show so much effusive ripe fruit with cherries and strawberries. Lightly jammy. Full-bodied and slightly chewy, yet with so much fruit and brightness. Delicious now, but give it two or three years to open. Second wine of Carmes. Try after 2023. - James Suckling

The 2018 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion is blended of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. It includes 25% whole cluster, has 13.6% alcohol and is anticipated to age 18-24 months in barriques, 30% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little reduced to begin, opening out to pretty notions of roses, cinnamon stick and black pepper over a core of Black Forest cake, licorice, tar, warm cassis and chargrill. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly wound with firm, ripe, chunky tannins and lovely freshness with saline and mineral sparks coming through on the long, vibrant finish. - LPB, Wine Advocate

The 2018 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, with 30% whole bunch fermentation this year. Deep garnet-purple colored, it skips out of the glass with bright notes of kirsch, redcurrant jelly, and roses, plus touches of cinnamon stick and tar. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and refreshing, featuring wonderfully soft, silt-like tannins and lots of floral notes on the long finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

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. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

This is an excellent wine, in keeping with the growing confidence of the grand vin but from vines that are located in a separate part of the appellation. It has extremely rich flavours of sage, cassis and blackberry, combined with excellent freshness and a lot of intensity, They have used 25% stalks in the second wine this year, which is more than usual, perhaps responsible for the salinity on the finish. The 25hl/ha yield was the result of hail at the end of May rather than mildew. Ageing is in 30% new oak, with the balance - entirely from the Léognan plots - in larger oak casks. Usually released three years after the vintage. 3.55pH. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032 - Jane Anson, Decanter