"Guillaume Pouthier and his team have once again crafted one of Bordeaux's most unique and characterful wines...97-99 points." (YC) Wine Advocate, Apr '24

Released this morning for sale en primeur, 2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is offered at £456 per six bottles and receives 97-99 points from The Wine Advocate and 98-99 points from Suckling.

This small estate in Pessac-Léognan was once part of Haut-Brion itself.  At around 10 hectares, the scale here is more akin to a right bank estate.  The château was established over 400 years ago and was once owned by Carmelite monks, providing the name.  Now privately owned, by property developer Patrice Pichet, the winemaker is Guillaume Pouthier.  Pouthier previously worked with biodynamic wine guru, Michel Chapoutier. 

Pouthier has an impressive, modernistic winery to work in, designed by Philippe Starck, and is one of very few Bordeaux winemakers we know of to use whole-bunch fermentation.  Widely used in Burgundy, this method is usually seen as unsuited to the thicker skins and higher tannin levels of Bordeaux grape varieties, but Pouthier combines this with a gentle extraction (or 'infusion', another term more associated with burgundy) and ageing in a mix of oak barrels, vats, and amphorae.  The result in 2023 is a distinctive, complex style, which Suckling says shows 'greatness'.  

Finding innovative wines of brilliance like this one is what buying en primeur should be all about.  Recent vintages have also performed well in the secondary market, making this the best time to buy. We recommend adding 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion to your cellar. 

Offered en primeur, on allocation.  Landing spring 2026.

Magnums available with £20 ex-VAT bottling surcharge per six, please enquire for other formats.

All previous offers of 2023 Bordeaux can be found here.