Aromas of spices, sweet tobacco, earth, tar, flint, rose petals, fresh basil and bay leaves come through clearly. Medium- to full-bodied with a tight and focused palate and open-grained tannins that are integrated and lightly dry. So savory, juicy and spicy. 60% whole-cluster fermentation. 50% cabernet franc, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. From organically grown grapes. Already so delicious but better in two or three years and well beyond. James Suckling Senior Editor

Slightly higher in Cabernet Franc than usual, the 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion opens with a nuanced bouquet of cassis, cassis leaf, licorice, dark berries, wisteria and blueberry. Medium- to full-bodied, fleshy yet strikingly linear, it’s defined by a tensile structure and a crystalline precision that gives the wine remarkable clarity. The tannins are exquisitely refined—silky yet laser-focused—imparting a sense of purity and balanced. Despite 90% new oak, the élevage is seamlessly absorbed, shaping the wine’s structure without encroaching on its intrinsic balance and precision. Kudos!

(TWI 96-98 points) A blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot, Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023 has a pH of 3.62. It was fermented with 60% whole bunches and it is aging in 70% new oak barrels, 20% new oak vats of 18 hl, and 10% amphorae. It has an opaque purple-black color and needs a little swirling and coaxing to bring out fabulously pure, well-defined notes of juicy black cherries, blackcurrant pastilles, ripe juicy blackberries, and licorice, leading to hints of tar, peonies, wet slate, and black olives, with a touch of Sichuan pepper. The light to medium-bodied palate is airy and refreshing, with a solid backbone of very fine-grained, prancing tannins and bold freshness supporting the pristine black fruit flavors, finishing long and minerally. I had to spend a good 15 minutes with this wine to allow it to grow: it is incredibly tight to begin but expands to become something powerful. A beguiling 2023 with fully ripe black fruit characters and a paradoxical airiness, it really makes your head spin in the best possible way! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Gorgeous aromatic intensity and precision on the nose, with real purity of blackcurrant leaf, dark cherry, violets, liquorice, and cocoa powder. Supple and alive, with an instant buzz about it, but so graceful. Such energy here - lots of iron, blood, graphite and wet stones, with touches of chocolate and bitter coffee, yet the florality carries through from start to finish. Just excellent: a light touch but not a light wine. Modern, with fresh blueberries and cherries, such a juicy core, yet everything in balance. It’s charming, effortless, so drinkable. I love the supple texture too - it’s got weight, but the acidity, fine tannins and pure fruit keep it so lifted. A bottle you’re absolutely going to finish. (Drink between 2033-2048)

(97+ points) Beautiful notes of exotic red and black fruits, spring flowers, violets, leafy herbs, and tobacco emerge from the 2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, with subtle hints of iron and graphite. Aged 22 months in barrel, the first year in 70% new oak with the rest in used barrels and concrete, and the second year all in used foudre, it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, has a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel, impressive balance, and a great finish. I love the purity and polish of its tannins, and while it already has charm, this deserves 4-6 years of bottle age and will evolve beautifully for 30+ years. Drink 2030-2055. - Jeb Dunnuck

With a deep, garnet hue, the wine displays a perfume packed with blackberries, blueberries, cigar box, sea salt, flowers, blueberries, tar, herbs, espresso and spices. On the palate, the wine is rich, full-bodied, supple, and deep. There is intensity, purity, length, and vibrancy. The wine is rich, and concentrated, and while it can be approached early, it has all the right stuff to age for decades. While the finish is mouthcoating, its also elegant, leaving you with layers of crushed stones, a wealth of ripe, sweet, dark fruits, with a touch of salty chocolate and refreshing mint in the finish. The wine was made using 60% whole bunch clusters, blending 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Drink from 2028-2050. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2023%20carmes%20haut%20brion

A blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot, Les Carmes Haut‑Brion 2023 has a pH of 3.62. It was fermented with 60% whole bunches and is aging in 70% new oak barrels, 20% new 18‑hl oak vats, and 10% amphorae. It starts off a touch broody with notes of tar and damp soil. After a little swirling, pure, well‑defined notes of juicy black cherries, blackcurrant pastilles, ripe blackberries, and licorice pop from the glass, leading to hints of peonies, wet slate, and black olives. The medium‑bodied palate is airy and refreshing, with a solid backbone of very fine‑grained tannins and racy acidity supporting the pristine black fruit flavors, finishing long and minerally. This is a beguiling 2023 with ripe black and red berry characters and a paradoxical airiness—iconoclastic, in the best possible way!

The 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur, if not more so. Silky and intensely aromatic, the 2023 boasts magnificent purity from start to finish. Dark red- toned fruit, mocha, lavender, rose petal and exotic spice notes abound. Vinification with 60% stems exalts aromatic intensity and brilliance. The 2023 is a magical wine in the making. - Antonio Galloni

Elderflower and peony aromatics, stunning inky plum colour that is very much a signature of Carmes, where it looks so enticing and ripe visually, and then on the palate you feel this constrasting vibrant lift and drinkablity. Back to the signature squid ink flavour that is the key marker of ripe Cabernet in the vintage, and here the grippy slate texture slows everything slows, slowly humming through the palate. Has a sappy, drinkablity, with crushed rose petals and salted cracker salinity. 60% whole cluster, harvest September 11 to 25. 3.6ph. Distinctive, intense, one for Carmes lovers to celebrate.