Futures ChateauLes Carmes Haut Brion 2020

Crafted in the prestigious Pessac-Léognan appellation on the outskirts of Bordeaux city, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2020 is one of the most sought-after, critically acclaimed wines of the modern era. Under the brilliant direction of technical director Guillaume Pouthier, this estate has redefined contemporary Bordeaux winemaking through organic viticulture, whole-cluster fermentation, and infusion-style extraction. Sourced from a unique micro-terroir of deep gravel over clay and limestone, the 2020 vintage features an atypically high proportion of Cabernet Franc alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Aged in a combination of new oak barriques, large wooden foudres, and terracotta amphorae, it stands as an intellectual masterpiece of purity, aromatic intensity, and structural precision.

Food Pairing: Roasted rack of lamb, prime ribeye steak, seared squab, braised short ribs, truffle-infused dishes, and aged hard cheeses.

98 Points - James Suckling

Gorgeous aromas of crushed berries with orange peel. Fresh spices. Flowers. Salty. Full and so bright and vivid, with an elegance and beauty at the beginning and then it goes on and on. You see the intense fine tannins at the end. Dusty and bright. Unique wine. 55% whole cluster. 80% new wood, 10% amphora, and 10% foudra.

97 Points - Robert Parker The Wine Advocate

The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, red fruits, exotic spices, rose petals, raw cocoa and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it's intensely flavored but weightless, with a compelling sense of harmony and a long, orange-inflected finish. A blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, it was vinified with some 65% whole bunch and attained 13.5% alcohol. This is the first vintage where Pouthier's methods (whole bunch with weighted cap and long élevage incorporating larger vessels) were applied writ large, and the results are striking.