Les Carmes Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2022

100 points Yohan Castaing (Wine Advocate): "The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the finest wine bottled to date at this estate under Patrice Pichet's ownership and Guillaume Pouthier's direction. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of violet, iris, dark wild berries, pencil lead and mulberries, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated with a deep core of fruit beautifully framed by velvety, precise tannins, segueing into a long, saline and perfumed finish. Suave and harmonious, it was crafted with 70% whole bunches and matured in 70% new oak. This unconventional blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot represents a turning point for the estate, cementing its rapid ascendancy in the Bordeaux firmament. Drink: 2032-2062. (3/6/25)"

100 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a towering masterpiece from Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Dark and seamless in the glass, the 2022 presents an exotic mélange of black cherry, lavender, sage, blood orange, menthol, espresso and dried flowers, showing tremendous depth and substance in all of its dimensions. Time in the glass hints as to what is to come in the years and decades that follow. The 2022 is a co-ferment of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot done with 70% stems that saw six full weeks on the skins. Élevage is 70% new oak, 20% 18HL cask and 10% amphora. Most importantly, all the elements are so well balanced that nothing sticks out. Instead, it is the wine's total sense of harmony that is mind-blowing. Magnificent. Drink: 2030-2072. (Jan 2025)"

100 points Georgie Hindle (Decanter): "Deep and brooding, this wine is beautifully floral with violets, irises, and peonies alongside ripe black cherries, liquorice, and dark chocolate. Concentrated yet bursting with energy, it flows effortlessly across the palate. Vibrant red fruits - strawberry, cherry, raspberry - sit atop a mineral backbone of salty, wet stones. Crisp yet powdery tannins and bright acidity give incredible tension. Despite its depth, it feels almost weightless, so drinkable yet built to age. Pure, pristine, and vibrant, with no trace of heat - just balance and finesse. Juicy, lively, and utterly compelling. A true expression of place and a sure-fire hit. 70% whole bunch fermented. Two years ageing, 80% new oak, 10% big 20hl vats and 10% amphora. 3.55pH. 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot. Drinking Window: 2029-2050. (12/14/24)"

99-100 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "The first thing you notice is the black, purple hue. Next, it its the perfume with its black, blue and red fruits, incense, curry, flowers, smoke and herbs. Opulent, restrained, elegant and powerful, the wine comes in layers. You can sense the array of exotic spices, mint, blue and black fruits, crushed rocks, black cherries and white pepper on the palate. Full-bodied and dense, the wine somehow remains light on its feet. The end notes, meshing elegance and power bring everything together, as the finish crosses the 60 second mark. This is perhaps even better than the perfect, 2016! The wine was made using 70% whole bunch clusters during fermentation. From a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, 13.5% ABV, pH 3.6. The wine is aging in a combination of 70% new, French oak, 20% foudres and 10% amphora. Picking took place September 5 - September 22. Yields were 40 hectoliters per hectares. Drink from 2025-2050. (May 2023)"

97-99 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 26% Merlot, 90% aging in oak (70% new barriques, 20% 18hl casks) and 10% in amphoras. Deep garnet-purple in color, it pops out of the glass with lifted notes of redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries, blackcurrant pastilles, and lavender, leading to cerebral wafts of cast-iron pan, dark chocolate, and dusty soil with a hint of licorice. The red and black berry flavors do pirouettes on the medium-bodied palate, featuring incredibly fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension that gives a shimmer to the very long mineral-laced finish. As usual, the alcohol is 13.5% (the stem inclusion absorbs some of the alcohol during fermentation) and the pH is 3.64. This is a vibrant, showy, immediately impactful wine that flies in the face of traditional Bordeaux, carrying it off with bags of grace and style. A slight carbonic character from the whole bunch juxtaposed by a rock-solid structure thanks to the ripe stem tannins creates a unique signature. I personally love it, but if you're a Bordeaux purest, this might not be your cup of tea. Drink: 2030-2065. (5/14/23)"

98+ points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot that saw plenty of stems in the ferments and 20 months in 80% new barrels. Its deeper ruby/purple hue is followed by a sumptuous nose of red, blue, and black fruits, as well as leafy herbs, darker chocolate, crushed stone, and almost bloody, iron-like nuances. I love its overall balance on the palate, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and a great finish. It shows the class of this great terroir and will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and still be drinking well in 30-40 years. You'd be hard-pressed to describe this as Bordeaux in a blind tasting today, yet I have no doubt it will develop more and more classic Graves character over the coming decade. It’s a sensational, singular wine. Drink: 2031-2071. (2/27/25)"

98 points Falstaff: "Bright deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate rim brightening. Floral touch of candied purple fruit, ripe red cherries, a touch of blackberry confit, nuances of liquorice, very complex bouquet. Juicy, very complex, taut, ripe tannins, fine dark berry fruit, mineral, fine vieille vignes character, balanced, very great length, certain ageing potential for decades. Also has an enormous volume with its 13.5%, silky at all times, fresh and unique in its kind. (Jan 2023)"

97-98 points James Suckling: "This is so umami with sea urchin character that gives you sea salt and dried seaweed aromas and flavors. The integrity and richness is so impressive with an exotic character, yet it is so classic and fine in structure. 13.5% alcohol. 70% whole cluster fermentation. 40% cabernet franc, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 25% merlot. A new model for Bordeaux? (4/5/23)"