Chateau Les Carmes - C de Carmes Haut Brion Red 2018
Red
2018
Bordeaux
Pessac-Leognan
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot
Grape
61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot
Tasting notes
The 2018 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion (the second wine of Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion) is a vibrant, medium-bodied red blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, with aromas of dark cherries, roses, and cassis, complemented by a fresh, mineral-driven finish.
The nose shows ripe black forest cake, warm cassis, cinnamon stick, and roses. The palate offers juicy cherries, blackberries, and light jammy brightness, with a texture that's full-bodied yet fresh, carrying firm, chewy tannins into a clean saline finish.
More About The Winery
Most Bordeaux aficionados will be very familiar with Pessac-Léognan stars, Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion. However, next door lies Château Les Carmes, named after the monks (les carmes) who owned it for 200 years. It came under significant new ownership in 2010, when Patrice Pichet bought it.
Since Patrice Pichet's acquisition, the estate has been transformed: a striking, cathedral-like gravity-fed cellar designed by architect Philippe Starck now anchors the property, and the vineyards have been considerably extended. Unusually three quarters of the grapes go into Le C, and of those, nearly half is Merlot — giving the wine an intense fruit charm, while partial bunch fermentation (with stalks on) gives it a fresh sappiness that sets it apart from its more powerful Pessac-Léognan neighbours.
