CHÂTEAU LES CARMES HAUT BRION
2014 Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
The 2014 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has a concentrated bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and light brine-like aromas. There is just a touch of warmth from the alcohol that detracts from the delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, rounded and supple in the mouth with a touch of white pepper and clove towards the comparatively conservative finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2021 - 2045 Rating: 91 L&S (Mar 2018)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 55% Cabernet Franc component here is fermented as whole bunches. In a vintage like 2014 getting the wood ripe was no problem for this 'city' vineyard and the ensuing density and concentration in the wine is impressive. A joyous note of black Wine Gums is seasoned with lovely clove and warm spice notes. Grip builds here but it is impressive, if not completely classic Pessac. Rating: 92-93 L&S (Apr 2015)
Bright, healthy, deep crimson. Stony nose with masses of ripe fruit. Lots of flesh and interest. Good balance and interest. Drinking range: 2024 - 2043 Rating: 17.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Feb 2018)
The Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2014 is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines that are being converted to organic, undergoing a 30-day cuvaison with 15% to 40% whole clusters. Around 74% of the crop is matured in 80% new oak, 16% in 1,200-liter oak foudres and the remainder in 1-year old oak. Winemaker Guillaume Pouthier (ex-Chapoutier) has fashioned a bold and opulent bouquet with macerated black cherries and boysenberry jam. But it does not really 'sing' of "Pessac-Léognan", not at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannin on the entry, but then there is a wave of ripe, black, grainy fruit infused with graphite and cedar and it finishes in a bravura fashion with a seam of coconut originating from the oak. I would want to just check how the oak integrates with time by bottling and it may merit a higher score then. It's gonna need a top wine to match the architectural ambitions of its Philippe Starck-designed winery - this is certainly going in the right direction. Drinking range: 2018 - 2032 Rating: 90 - 92+ Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2015)
Good lift, supple but firm tannins. Well-extracted dark fruits with bitter chocolate and spice. High acidity, a bit austere and lean but has impact. Important investment going on; there's ambition here. One to watch. (Highly Recommended Pessac-Léognan, Decanter.) Drinking range: 2018 - 2030 Rating: 90+ Steven Spurrier (Apr 2015)
Deep purple. Interesting meaty nose. Sweet and more weight of fruit than most. Very suave and polished. Excellent persistence. Though there is no getting away from the acid and tannin! Drinking range: 2022 - 2038 Rating: 17- Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2015)
Light and fresh on the nose the start of the palate is bright with a bramble and bilberry mix. There is some mid sweetness but it is the fresh fruit that dominates the finish light and bright. Drinking range: 2025 - 2032 Rating: 85-88 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (Apr 2015)
This small but perfectly formed property has less Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than its illustrious neighbours and tends to make comparatively fresh, elegant, mineral wines. That's the case here: scented oak, stylish tannins and a core of sweet red fruits and shimmering minerality. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 95 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2015)
Beautiful density of fruit with blackberry, dark chocolate and blueberry character. Full-bodied, very fine and silky. Classy for the vintage. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Mar 2015)
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.