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With its 5-century-old vineyard, Château Carmes Haut Brion is a must in the Pessac-Léognan appellation.
It was in 1584 that the Catholic monks of the Grands Carmes order - who take their name from Mont Carmel, literally "Vineyard of God" - were offered land by the lord of the Haut Brion house, Jean de Potensac. At that time, Domaine comprised only meadows, a few vines and a mill on the Peugue river. It was not until 50 years later that the monks decided to expand their vineyard by purchasing plots belonging to Haut Brion. For two centuries, they produced one of the region's most famous wines, while keeping the name Haut Brion, which became Carmes Haut Brion by custom.
Confiscated in 1791 during the French Revolution, it became Bien National and was only bought back a century later by wine merchant Léon Colin, illustrious ancestor of the Chantecaille family. The latter then had the Château we know today built and the park landscaped.
In 2010, Château was bought by Patrice Pichet, a big name in real estate and a long-time lover of the property. Anxious to do his utmost to bring Domaine to its apogee, he will have a new winery built and the vineyard redeveloped, putting oenologists Guillaume Pouthier and Stéphane Derenoncourt in charge.
Straddling Pessac and Bordeaux, the historic 7-hectare vineyard has the particularity of being totally enclosed as it is completely surrounded by the town. The resulting microclimate provides the best conditions for grapes to reach full maturity. Composed of 41% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the Domaine vineyard, located on gravel, clay and sand, has expanded since 2011 to include new communes and now covers 40 hectares. As for the wines, they are aged for 24 months in new barrels, for the majority of production, in foudre and terracotta jars.
Les Carmes Haut Brion, with its complex and gourmet style, offers us each vintage all the elegance of the great Pessac-Léognan.
The wine presents itself to us adorned with a superb orange-red color with brick-colored highlights. On the nose, it expresses scents of jammy fruit, cinnamon and cigar box. After aeration, a perfectly integrated woody dimension adds complexity. On the palate, the dense attack evolves into a rich, full body. Velvety tannins underline elegant aromas. In addition to the fruit, discreet notes of baking appear. The long finish leaves us with a delicious fruity taste for a long Seconde.
