2014 Les Carmes Haut Brion

One of the stars of the vintage, the 2014 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is total knock-out. Graphite, smoke, red cherry jam, spice, cured meat, pomegranate and tobacco are just some of the myriad sensations that race out of the glass. Today, the 2014 is gloriously ample on the palate, with remarkable nuance for a wine of its size. The Carmes Haut-Brion has been terrific in two recent tastings. The blend is 54 % Cabernet Franc, 32 % Merlot and 14 % Cabernet Sauvignon, all aged in oak, but with some influence of 500-liter tonneaux and 12-hectoliter casks. Simon Blanchard is the consulting oenologist. Tasted two times. Feb 2017, www.vinous.com, Drink: 2024-2044

The 2014 Les Carmes Haut Brion has a very ripe, fig-tinged bouquet with red cherries, orange sorbet and faint tarry scents. This has more bravado than many of its Pessac-Leognan peers. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin. It comes across as more modern in style than its peers, silky smooth with caressing succulent red cherry and blackberry fruit leading to a polished finish. It has very good body and density, though I find much more complexity on the 2015. I remarked that I wanted to see how well the oak integrates with this Les Carmes Haut-Brion and at this early stage, I wait to be totally convinced that all the constituent parts are singing from the same hymn sheet. Mar 2017, www.robertparker.com