TN: 2014 Ch. Les Carmes Haut Brion: And, who made this wine?

Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion has always been a favorite of this Chinon-lover. It is, after all, rather atypical for a Bordeaux, and particularly a left-bank wine from Pessac-Leognan. It is atypical in the sense that it’s predominant grape in many years is Cabernet Franc. Sometimes it flips with merlot, but historically has always shown that tart red berry profile of Cabernet Franc, infused with a bit of funk and tobacco. A very unique Pessac.

The Chateau is in a state of change now. It was acquired by a modernizer sometime after 2010, and major renovations and changes have and are being made. According to Leve, the goal is to achieve 50% Cab Franc in the vineyards, but the concerning part for me at least, has been the introduction of very modern consultants, with Derenoncourt involved in 2011 and perhaps later.

Not surprisingly, critics have been swooning, points have been racing out of the bottle, with the 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages garnering some of the highest points that I have ever seen from this Chateau. Which of course, does not mean better, but it could mean, different. I loved this estate when it was not getting the acclaim. But naturally, I am curious, so I did buy 2012, 2014 and 2016 futures. Even with the crazy points, it is a very affordable Chateau, with the 2014 easily found for $50.

I had the 2012 a couple of weeks ago. I have to admit, it was a major crowd pleaser. It was at a party, so many wines were being poured, and wines were not the focus, so my attention to it was limited. Needless to say, I came away thinking that I would not be buying any more of this vintage. I found the wine rather extracted, more dark berry character than in the past, and a heavy presence of new oak notes of vanilla and even coconut. It was glossy, approachable, and again, a crowd hit.

So it was with some trepidation that I popped the 2014 tonight to check in.

This wine is not the 2012. It’s not the 2010 more classic version either, but thus far it is working. The wine has a tension, perhaps a conflict going on, between its past and its present. There is a darker, more weighted presence about this wine, for sure. A richer perfume. A silkier presence. And yes, some showing of new oak. But it also has a fresh, red-fruit profile, decent acid, and a coarseness to the tannins that is rather old school. The tannins have enough sweetness to it, however, to make this chewy wine actually enjoyable right now. This is not your father’s Oldsmobile, think of it as a new incarnation with fine Corinthian leather and a racy fuel-injector. I cannot prognosticate how this develops, but I will admit to liking what I see here. Not a Bordeaux that I want all the time, but not fully embracing the dark side either.

Back to my title, who the heck made this wine?

Leve’s website says Derenoncourt was brought in back in 2011. Galloni says that Simon Blanchard is the consulting oenologist. Neal Martin says that Guillaume Pouthier (ex-Chapoutier) is the winemaker. Perhaps they are all involved.

PS. I am surprised to say that I liked this better than the 2014 Cantemerle.

PPS. The new label sucks. I loved the classic, old label.

Great, informative post Robert!

Thx. I have no answers to any questions above, but I am curious if anyone has had the 05. I’ve got a case or so that I’ve been waiting on.

Bobby, the '12 we drank was meh

I think you should become an official wine critic, Robert. I’d subscribe (for real).

Other than Gilman, who represents the AFWE in the world of professional critics? We need more skin in the game or these old school gems will keep vanishing.

Nice. A long time favorite of mine.

The older ones kept well too.

Thanks for the post Rob, I tasted the 14s earlier this year and loved it. Keen to see how it evolves in 10+ yrs.

Pat, thanks, I’ve been debating this for a very long time, at least 2-3 minutes. I feel that with my passion, wit and charm, I could achieve a significant subscriber base of at least 17 people, a few might be family members to bump up the base. I’d bring in NYC Johnny as my copy editor and my little buddy Marc to create text boxes with abbreviated notes in an electronic medium, perhaps snap chat, with no care for grammar or spelling, appealing to the Next Gen. Marc is debating racey pictures and points, no notes.

Wine Whisperer: Teasing Out the Essential Essence of Wine

I will also bring in some special guest writers for a lifestyle element:

Senior Counsel Neal:
A Cohesive Review on Fine Champagne, Tahitian Beaches, Speedos and Sand Box Buckets

[Ed. Note: Neal has promised a lively, if not risqué, photo-shoot from his recent vacay]

Corey N:
The Finest Spatlese to Pair with Those Italian Double Monk Straps, a Clean, Bloodless Shave with Victorian-Era Straight Blades, and Your Retro Chronograph

Victor:
_The World Ends Next Week, Drink that Shit Right Now

Or

You Will Never Have Enough for Retirement, So Drink All the Shit Right Now, Liver Be Damned
_
And from the Cycling Thread (RT, Tallman, Craig, Kenny and Russell, take a stroll through Provence):

Thermo-Bottles that Accentuate a Crisp Rose; Bike Baskets for your Bread and Charcuterie; Versace Lycra Picnic Blankets to Best Pair with your Cycling Kit.
I think we have a hit. The weekly subscription price will be high so that I can give up my law job, focus on my writing, while still keeping my wife in the lap of luxury.

And for the record, Pat, I hope my note was clear that Les Carmes has indeed moved in a more modern direction. The 2012 was too much; with Leve scoring the 2016 a 99 and flat out telling me it ain’t my kind of wine, it likely isn’t. What I am saying is, this 2014 does a solid straddle, the cab franc profile carried the day, and I’m happy to drink and own it. This is no longer the Chateau we once knew, however.

Or, save and invest like crazy, to be able to drink whatever you want, before and during retirement.

The world will not end, and people should prepare for long lives.

18 subscribers. Unless you already counted me in.

Of course, the mission statement of the Wine Whisperer would have to be composing a blacklist of winemakers so that readers could decide whether to like a wine without ever drinking it.

I’m in Robert. My Beach Report is already Schildknecht-ian in length and I am only 1/3 the way through.

Glad you liked this wine. There is hope for you yet! And 15/16 are even better wines with their new cellars and a better understanding of the vineyard.

First of all, always TIL, Trust in Leve.

Simon Blanchard works for Derenoncourt, but Stephane is a strong part of everything that takes place here. They are consultants, not winemakers. Guillaume Pouthier is the director. Guillaume is involved with everything that happens at Carmes in the cellars, vineyards and in the commercial end.

Genius.

I’m pretty sure that I can line up Levenberg to pen the following:

Wine Criticism: A Fallacious, Self-Indulgence of Nothing; the Bland, the Banal and the Banned

He has a fine note on the 2014 Les Carmes Haut Brion up on CT.

Not fair
I would just show Robert up with my incredible depth of humor and creativity, regardless of the unapologetic poor grammar structure (poetic grammar license?)…truth being, Corey would make us all look bad initially…
but eventually his dark, untimely, unfit, inappropriate, twisted sexual innuendo’s would befall
him in his end…I mean ‘in the end.’

Yep, this is a failed project long before its commencement

Even with his inevitable contempt…Levenberg is way too intelligent to come anywhere near this travesty in the making

Forget the wine publication…Robert and I should just be consultants…therefore, we can barnstorm the left and right bank…bumping up all percentage’s of cab franc, lowering the amount of alcohol, reducing the proliferation of new oak and fixing everything that is wrong with bordeaux.

I prefer: The Batch Report a bit inside

Great stuff…thanks for the note and the laugh!

Marc, I’m thinking your electronic version will appropriately be called, SnapBatch, playing off the wonderfully successful Snapchat. Senior DC Counsel has assured me that there is no intellectual property theft at play here.

Think of the genius and satire here. Our feckless and shallow tasting notes will be snapped to our very elite viewer base of now 18 people, receiving quick snaps and maybe a video or picture, that will self-destruct within seconds of their viewing, underscoring the irrelevance - or is it irreverence - of our commentary.

lol…i am dyyyying at the hilarity…you can be the Carlos Danger of SnapBatch