2018 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion

France / Bordeaux / Pessac-Leognan Rouge
 
At the Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion in Pessac-Léognan, 2018 avoids the extravagance of the vintage: Moderately high degrees, a dense phenolic constitution with fine granularity, powerful Cabernets Sauvignons and fresh Cabernets Francs. A miraculous vintage like only Bordeaux knows how to give birth to.
 
The Wine Cellar Insider/Jeff Leve tasting notes 98/100 (2021): "Aromatically, this beauty kicks off with an array of just-picked flowers, smoky, dark red and black fruits, licorice, herbs, wet earth, cigar box, forest leaf, and salty, crushed rocks. Deeply colored, concentrated, full-bodied, elegant, soft, refined and pure on the palate, the seamless finish keeps on going with layers of fresh, ripe, sweet, sensuously textured fruits. The wine is a blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot, 13.75% ABV. This has the potential to age and evolve for 2-3 decades with ease".

Blend:
37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot.
 
Ratings vintage 2018:
The Wine Cellar Insider/Jeff Leve: 98-100/100.
Yves Beck: 98-100/100.
Decanter: 98/100.
Inside Bordeaux/Jane Anson: 98/100.
Falstaff: 98/100.
vvWine.ch/Adrian van Velsen: 98/100.
Alexandre MA: 98/100.
Jacques Perrin: 98/100.
James Suckling: 97-98/100.
Jean-Marc Quarin: 97/100.
Jeb Dunnuck: 96-98/100.
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate: 96/100.
The Wine Independent: 96/100.
Antonio Galloni: 95-98/100.
Wine Spectator: 95-98/100.
Wine Advocate: 94-96+/100.
La Revue du Vin de France: 18.5/20.