Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion Pessac Léognan 2020

The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total stunner. For the first time I can remember, Les Carmes Haut-Brion marries all of its elements so well that nothing stands out. In the past, the high percentage of Franc and/or the whole clusters were evident. The 2020 is the first modern vintage in which all the elements are so well balanced. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender, dried herbs and incense all build in a ravishing Pessac-Léognan that will take your breath away. The 2020 is 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, picked between September 14 to 26, which is early here. Whole cluster was 55%. Vinification took place over five weeks, using very gentle extraction, with no pumpovers or punchdowns. Aging was 80% new oak, 11% 18hL foudres and 9% amphorae. In tasting, the 2020 is simply magnificent. There are no soloists, just the most exceptionally vivid, breathtaking orchestra imaginable. The 2020 is a masterpiece from Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier and his team. Don't miss it!

From a bottle purchased stateside, the 2020 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a riviting, utterly classic Pessac-Leognan that offers textbook darker currant fruits, scorched earth, tobacco, lead pencil, and smoky, truffly nuances, as well as a subtle floral hint with time in the glass. Based on 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot that saw a plenty of stems as well as 80% new oak, it's deep plum/ruby hued, has medium to full-bodied richness, a graceful, layered, elegant mouthfeel, polished, fine grained tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's more approachable today than I would have imagined from barrel, and it actually reminds me of the 2019 with its understated elegance. It deserves a solid 7-8 years of bottle age and will be a 30, 40, 50+ year wine. It's another heavenly wine from Guillaume Pouthier that you probably couldn't have too much of in the cellar.

The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, red fruits, exotic spices, rose petals, raw cocoa and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it's intensely flavored but weightless, with a compelling sense of harmony and a long, orange-inflected finish. A blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, it was vinified with some 65% whole bunch and attained 13.5% alcohol. This is the first vintage where Pouthier's methods (whole bunch with weighted cap and long élevage incorporating larger vessels) were applied writ large, and the results are striking.