Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022, a Pessac-Léognan with a unique blend

The 2022 vintage of Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion immediately stands out for the uniqueness of its blend: 40 percent Cabernet Franc, 34 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 26 percent Merlot—a proportion of Cabernet Franc rarely seen as dominant in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. This Grand Vin de Graves, crafted under the guidance of consulting oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt on behalf of the Pichet Group, draws from this climatically contrasting year a dense body, with ripe fruit and a chalky texture.

Tasting Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022: Profile, Food Pairings, and peak drinking window

The Tasting

The color is a deep purple, with violet highlights that betray the vintage’s youth. On the nose, the initial impression reveals very ripe black fruits—blackcurrant and blackberry—intermingled with a note of fig and a hint of violet. With aeration, a more distinct floral dimension emerges, dominated by hyacinth, while the fruit retains all its richness. On the palate, the attack is full-bodied and generous, driven by concentrated fruit that quickly gives way to a welcome freshness. The fine, chalky tannic structure bears the hallmark of Cabernet Franc and gives the wine a particularly silky texture on the mid-palate. A slight saline note revitalizes the whole and extends the lingering finish, which features aromas of black fruits and dark flowers.

• Blend: 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot
• Alcohol content: 13.5% vol.
• Ageing: 24 months in French oak barrels (70% new), vats, and amphorae
• Ageing potential: over 20 years

Food and Wine Pairings

The chalky texture of the tannins and the aromatic freshness of the vintage naturally pair well with full-flavored red meats: a roast rack of lamb with herbs or a rib of beef in a herb crust will find an ideal partner in this wine. The floral notes and the finesse of the structure also invite you to pair it with game birds—such as partridge or pheasant—served in a light sauce. A well-aged, pressed-curd cheese, such as a long-aged Comté, will perfectly round out this meal.

Aging Potential

With a projected aging potential of over twenty years, this vintage does not need to be opened prematurely. The chalky tannic structure and the preserved aromatic freshness are the two pillars of this longevity: they ensure that the wine will gradually gain in complexity, with the oak influence from its twenty-four months of ageing fully integrating by 2028 or 2030. While the desire to enjoy it now is understandable, decanting it at least two hours before serving will reveal a more open profile. This Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022 will likely reach its peak between 2030 and 2042.

Vineyard, Terroir, and Cellar: The Making of the 2022 Vintage at Les Carmes Haut-Brion

The Vintage in the Vineyard

The fall and winter of 2021–2022 were relatively dry, forcing the vines to develop deeper roots to draw water from the deeper layers of the soil. The first buds appeared in mid-March under relatively normal conditions, but by May, heat and drought set in earlier than usual. Rain in mid-August provided much-needed relief, allowing the berries to complete their ripening under favorable conditions. The harvest proceeded smoothly, with bunches featuring August-ripened stems, berries fully ripened on all sides, and seeds at their peak, creating the ideal conditions for high-quality extraction.

Work in the Winery

The winemaking process for this vintage incorporates approximately seventy percent whole clusters, a technical choice that preserves aromatic freshness and refines the tannic texture. Ageing, which lasts twenty-four months, combines French oak barrels—seventy percent of which are new—with vats and amphorae; the latter vessel helps bring out the fruit without adding additional oak influence. This diversity of containers, characteristic of Stéphane Derenoncourt’s winemaking signature at the wine estate, contributes to the complexity and coherence of the final profile of Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022.