Deeper-hued than the C des Carmes cuvée, with a gorgeous perfume of red, blue, and black fruits intermixed with graphite, leafy herbs, iris, and subtle floral, minty, and almost peppery nuances, the 2025 Château Carmes Haut-Brion is based on 54% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Merlot, vinified with 65% whole clusters. On the palate, it's wonderfully textured and medium to full-bodied, with a round, layered, expansive mouthfeel and ultra-fine tannins. I love its overall balance, it has no hard edges, and while there's plenty of tannins here (IPT 82), they're perfectly integrated and polished. It checks in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.59, and this is just loaded with charm and character.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Les Carmes Haut-Brion needs a little patient swirling to bring out notes of juicy blueberries, black raspberries, and black cherries, followed by hints of fragrant soil, lilacs, and tar, plus a waft of lavender. The medium-bodied palate is electric with energetic blue, black, and red berry layers, framed by firm yet very fine-grained, silt-like tannins and a crisp line, finishing very long with loads of floral and mineral sparks. The blend is 17% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 54% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 13% with a pH of 3.59. This is made with 65% whole cluster, and it is aging in 70% new barrels, with 19% in vats of 30 hectoliters and 11% in amphorae. (LPB)

The 2025 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot, one of the highest proportions of Cabernet Franc at the estate and comparable to 2016. It was vinified with 65% whole clusters and matured in 70% new oak. It reveals a complex, harmonious bouquet of pomegranate, iris and peony, intertwined with cassis, mulberries and dark berries. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and structured, it’s deep and layered, its concentrated core of fruit framed by velvety structuring tannins, concluding with a long, mineral-inflected finish. Combining tension with an ethereal profile, it delivers remarkable clarity, freshness and elegance. While slightly more overtly structured at this stage than the prodigious 2022, it remains impeccably balanced. (YC)