Les Carmes Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé 2002 OWC12

Details

Owner of Château Haut-Brion, Jean de Pontac, donated a plot of vines to the Carmelite Order in 1584, producing a high-quality wine, whose name, "Haut-Brion," would eventually become "Carmes Haut-Brion."
Sold as national property during the French Revolution, the estate was acquired in the early 19th century by Léon Colin, a Bordeaux wine merchant, who built the current château and developed a 3-hectare park.

In 2010, Patrice Pichet, head of the eponymous Gironde real estate group, acquired Château Les Carmes-Haut-Brion with the ambition of making the property a unique signature of the appellation.

A vineyard overhaul, modernization of winemaking methods and infrastructure, and plot selection to prioritize optimal grape concentration are just some of the innovations implemented under the technical direction of oenologist Guillaume Pouthier, assisted by two consultants, Stéphane Derenoncourt and his partner Simon Blanchard.
With a surface area of 7.60 hectares dedicated to the production of the Grand Vin, the Château Les Carmes-Haut-Brion vineyard owes its uniqueness to a soil composed of clay, sand, and gravel from the Mindel region, and to a unique proportion of grape varieties on the left bank, composed of Cabernet Franc (42%), Merlot (41%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (18%).

The grapes are hand-harvested in an ultra-modern winery opened in 2016. They are gravity-fed into undestemmed wooden, stainless steel, or concrete vats, then vinified "by infusion" using the unique Bordeaux process introduced in 2012 by Guillaume Pouthier. No punching down or pumping over is performed, thus promoting a steady and progressive concentration of color and tannins. Blends are made in batches to achieve the perfect alchemy that gives each vintage of Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion the timeless style and refined signature sought after and recognized by critics.

Balanced, rich, powerful, and displaying rare finesse and elegance, these are the exceptional wines of Château Les Carmes-Haut-Brion, with their unique radiance and expression.