Tasted at the Graves UGC. This has a very upfront nose with black, slightly gamey fruit that nods towards the Rhone, but there is also very fine definition and purity, a sense of exuberance to this Les Carmes. The palate is full-bodied with slightly grainy tannins, that gamey quality coming through on the entry, lovely structure, smoky black fruits, cooked meat, a touch of sage towards the finish. Real character to this 2009 Les Carmes. Superb. Tasted April 2010.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 29/02/2012
Beautiful, Burgundian-like aromas of burning embers, roasted Provencal herbs, black currants and sweet cherries and raspberries emerge from this medium-bodied, elegant 2009 Pessac-Leognan. Medium to full-bodied and seductive with sweet tannins as well as a surprisingly evolved, precocious personality (even for a 2009), it will offer delicious drinking over the next 15+ years. This is another wine in which I noticed subtle bottle variation.

This ethereal, lighter-styled 2009 (no doubt because of the high Cabernet Franc content) is somewhat difficult to fully evaluate at this stage, but it exhibits beautifully sweet, pure, blue and red fruits (raspberries) in a medium-bodied format. The wine is sublime in its softness, finesse, and delicacy. It should put on weight and perform even better in a year or two, and should drink nicely for 15+ years. (Tasted three times.) (90-92)

Beautiful, Burgundian-like aromas of burning embers, roasted Provencal herbs, black currants and sweet cherries and raspberries emerge from this medium-bodied, elegant 2009 Pessac-Leognan. Medium to full-bodied and seductive with sweet tannins as well as a surprisingly evolved, precocious personality (even for a 2009), it will offer delicious drinking over the next 15+ years. This is another wine in which I noticed subtle bottle variation.

Medium ruby-red. Perfumed aromas of black raspberry, licorice, wild herbs and minerals. Sweet, lush and densely packed, with concentrated black cherry and black raspberry flavors offering considerable early appeal. Finishes with rising fruit and big, ripe tannins. This is superb already but should evolve positively for 10 to 12 years.

Deep ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black fruits, licorice, minerals and tobacco. Rich, ripe and soft, with creamy blueberry and blackcurrant fruit flavors given lift and clarity by sound acidity and solid minerality. Finishes with sweet tannins and subtle persistence. This wine could use a touch more finesse but should make a very enjoyable drink in a sweet, upfront, very modern style, at the same time managing to convey the minerally terroir of Pessac-Leognan.

[55M/30CF/15CS] Muted ripe fruit, gentle, scented; very full bodied, quite powerful, finely tannic but firmly so too; warm, sweet fruited, fullish, but fresh; long across the palate, both sweetly ripe, and very faintly alcohol bitter too, long and mouthcoating; the Merlot dominance shows in its power and weight this year; plenty of slightly bitter chocolate flavour, long across the palate, and long to finish, with the slightly warm, 'coating' effect of highish alcohol. Sweet, opulent, quite powerful - very different from a few years ago! Long term Carmes, really a vin de garde, probably needs at least 10 years! Good in its more powerful style. 2020-35

Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Very ripe nose – a bit formless. Very sweet start – a bit exaggerated and lacking freshness. Heavy and a bit astringent. (JR)