A powerful, intense wine, the 2012 Les Carmes Haut-Brion exudes richness and depth. Game, smoke, tobacco, grilled herbs, black cherries and incense are some of the signatures. This explosive, powerful Pessac is going to need time to settle down, but it is exceptionally beautiful, even at this very early stage. Les Carmes Haut-Brion is marked by its high percentage of Cabernet Franc (38%) which is unusual in this part of Pessac, and its fabulous terroir. All of that is on full display here. Don't miss it!

An inky, bluish-black color, this wine has deep black raspberry and blueberry notes mixed with charcoal, graphite and subtle smoke. Rich, full-bodied and silky textured, this complex, stunning Pessac-Léognan from this tiny jewel of a vineyard near Haut Brion is hitting all the high notes in 2012. It should drink well for 15-20. This is another bottled wine that dramatically out-performed its barrel sample.

This shows amazing fruit with blackberries and licorice character. Smoky too. Full body, with wonderful fruit and tannins. Goes on for a very, very long time. 40% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.

[40M/40CF/20CS] Considerable change here. The new owner, Patrice Pichet (property) managed to buy Carmes in spite of competing with Haut Brion; there is now a second wine, Clos des Carmes, much of which will come from the purchase of 6 hectares from Le Thil in Pessac Léognan; yields are lower, and there is a new winemaker, Guillaume Pouthier (ex Dourthe), whose aim is to make a wine of more matter and complexity, whilst retaining a particularly refined texture …. All of these have made a huge difference to Carmes Haut Brion. The 2012 is the best I have tasted.

Juicy and direct, with solid plum, raspberry and bitter cherry notes pushed by woodspice, singed alder and charcoal. Nice range, and with a pleasantly chewy, grippy feel. —J.M.

Tasted from a barrel sample at en primeur. The Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 38% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Merlot. It has a fine, gravelly bouquet with well-defined black fruit and well-integrated oak. It unfurls nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. This is actually more structured and masculine that I expected. Classic Pessac-Leognan with a touch of chewiness and sinew on the finish, a second sample tasted one week after the first exhibited the persistency and depth that the first lacked. This could be a very fine Les Carmes after bottling. Tasted April 2013.

(44% merlot, 38% cabernet franc and 18% cabernet sauvignon; 14% alcohol; 53% selection for the grand vin): Saturated ruby with purple highlights. Dark plum, blackberry, ink and minerals on the knockout nose. Silky and deep for 2012, but with no shortage of underlying structure. Quite full and complex, with sneaky concentration and building sweetness to the mineral, dark berry and floral flavors. Finishes with superb persistence, very fine tannins and a delicate herbal nuance. This is impressively silky for the year, and one of the best Les Carmes in memory, although I would have preferred just a little less alcohol. Les Carmes was purchased in December 2010 by Patrice Pichet, one of France's leading real estate developers, based in Bordeaux. At the time, the purchase price of 3.8 million Euros per hectare (18 million for the total property) set a new record for vineyard land in Bordeaux. Pichet is surrounded by talent: the régisseur is Guillaume Pouthier, recruited from Chapoutier, while Stéphane Derenoncourt and Simon Blanchard consult. Incidentally, the estate's second wine, Le Clos des Carmes, from younger vines on argilo-calcaire soils (as opposed to the graves of Les Carmes Haut-Brion), is also sweet and successful in 2012, and is one of the few second wines from this vintage that really deserves consumer attention.

The 2012 seems to be a move in that direction. A blend of 44% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, it tips the scales at 14.1% alcohol. Only 53% of the crop made it into the grand vin as they have introduced a second wine called Les Clos des Carmes. The medium-bodied, fragrant 2012 Les Carmes Haut Brion offers lots of unsmoked cigar tobacco, red and black currant, scorched earth and toasty notes. This wine, which is now being looked after by Guillaume Pouthier, whom I met when working with Michel Chapoutier in Tain l’Hermitage, has considerable talent, so readers take note. This 2012 possesses impressive purity and density along with its tell-tale elegance and finesse. It should drink well for 10-15 years. This property changed proprietors several years ago and is now owned by a Bordeaux real estate magnate who appears to be committed to pushing Les Carmes Haut-Brion up to the level of its nearby neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion – a courageous as well as expensive proposition.

44% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 16 months in new oak barrel (70%), foudre (20%) and amphora (10%) Deep, dense colour, particularly for the vintage. Floral freshness on the nose with a hint of violet. Palate round, sweet and texturally softer than the 2011. Large rather than long. Slight glow on the finish. Drinking well now but may not age as well as 2011. (JL)

Very dark purple. Almost excessively sweet, coconut-like oak – the sort I just happen not to like though I'm sure some people do. An awful lot of work has gone into extracting and polishing this fruit. But the overall effect lacks the freshness that is to me characteristic of Graves. Even a bit bitter on the end. Exaggerated wine that lacks a bit of soul. Overworked. Drink 2019-2027