2012 Château les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Good ripeness and depth, natural warmness of vineyard is there, quite broad and will gain complexity.

The 2012 seems to be a move in that direction. A blend of 44% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, it tips the scales at 14.1% alcohol. Only 53% of the crop made it into the grand vin as they have introduced a second wine called Les Clos des Carmes. The medium-bodied, fragrant 2012 Les Carmes Haut Brion offers lots of unsmoked cigar tobacco, red and black currant, scorched earth and toasty notes. This wine, which is now being looked after by Guillaume Pouthier, whom I met when working with Michel Chapoutier in Tain l’Hermitage, has considerable talent, so readers take note. This 2012 possesses impressive purity and density along with its tell-tale elegance and finesse. It should drink well for 10-15 years. This property changed proprietors several years ago and is now owned by a Bordeaux real estate magnate who appears to be committed to pushing Les Carmes Haut-Brion up to the level of its nearby neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion – a courageous as well as expensive proposition. robert_parker - Wine Advocate - Apr 2013

Juicy and direct, with solid plum, raspberry and bitter cherry notes pushed by woodspice, singed alder_yarrow and charcoal. Nice range, and with a pleasantly chewy, grippy feel.james_molesworth, Wine Spectator, April 8 2013

The first year with Guillaume Pouthier as technical director, and (not coincidentally) the first where stems were being introduced into the winemaking process (they went straight in with 30%). A richer, more gourmet vintage than 2011 generally, and you feel it - certainly there is no indication that using stems is making the wine less concentrated, as this has a significantly more precision and punch than the 2011, and for me is more successful. Sappy juice runs through the plate, along with raspberry, red cherry and blackberry fruits, creamy brioche through the mid palate, with smoked cedar and campfire. Fresh acidities on the finish and a tingle of minerality perhaps give a hint of something different happening in the winemaking. 3.65ph, 40% new oak. Drink 2022-2040 jane_anson_mw, janeanson_com (Feb 2022)

An inky, bluish-black color, this wine has deep black raspberry and blueberry notes mixed with charcoal, graphite and subtle smoke. Rich, full-bodied and silky textured, this complex, stunning Pessac-Lognan from this tiny jewel of a vineyard near Haut Brion is hitting all the high notes in 2012. It should drink well for 15-20. This is another bottled wine that dramatically out-performed its barrel sample.Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 30/04/2015

Very dark purple. Almost excessively sweet, coconut-like oak – the sort I just happen not to like though I'm sure some people do. An awful lot of work has gone into extracting and polishing this fruit. But the overall effect lacks the freshness that is to me characteristic of Graves. Even a bit bitter on the end. Exaggerated wine that lacks a bit of soul. Overworked. jancis_robinson_mw, JancisRobinson.com, April 2013