2022 Le C des Carmes de Haut-Brion

The 2022 Le C de Carmes Haut-Brion is a big, powerful wine. Just bottled, it is dramatic and decidedly large-scaled in the early going. I am curious to see how much baby fat this sheds in the next year or so as it starts to recover from bottling. Even today, though, the 2022 is so impressive. Dark red cherry/plum fruit, spice, dried herbs and menthol gradually open with a bit of coaxing. I would not dream of touching a bottle any time soon.

- Antonio Galloni (01/2025)

The aromas just pop out of the glass, offering plenty of flowers, pears, berries, rose stems and fresh currants. Wild fruits, too. It's full-bodied with so much juicy fruit and a creamy texture. Already open and delicious, with wonderful intensity. 30% whole-cluster fermentation. Second wine of Les Carmes Haut-Brion. Best after 2027, but fantastic now. (01/2025)

The 2022 C Des Carmes Haut-Brion is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the rest 1% Petit Verdot that was fermented with 30% whole clusters and aged 12 months in a new foudre (there's a small part in used barrels) followed by four months all in concrete tanks. There are fewer stems in this cuvée as the vines are younger, and it has a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a spicy, peppery, complex perfume of darker berry and plum fruits, spring flowers, tobacco leaf, and a beautiful sense of minerality. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, elegant, and loaded with character, it's a singular Pessac-Léognan that will have two decades of longevity. (02/2025)

The 2022 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion is punching above its weight this year. Unfurling in the glass with a gourmand, lively and vibrant bouquet of raspberry, mulberries, rose, violet and cassis, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered with refined, velvety tannins and a deep core of fruit, concluding with a harmonious, elegant profile that avoids any excess, enhancing its distinctive personality. Guillaume Pouthier, Guillaume Deschepper and their team have done a fantastic job at this address, delivering an exceptional wine.

- Yohan Castaing (03/2025)