Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion

Sitting on the same gravel soils as its namesake, Haut-Brion, and once forming part of the same estate, Les Carmes Haut-Brion is becoming one of Bordeaux’s most sought after properties. Investment from owner Patrice Pichet over the past decade alongside winemaker, Guillaume Pouthier, who formerly worked with Michel Chapoutier in the Rhône has meant that quality at the property has soared. A brand new, state-of-the-art winery was built in 2016, several new parcels of vines added to increase the size of the estate and a range of work from replanting to slope correcting undertaken. Pouthier employs conscientious vineyard management, everything from hand-harvesting to using horses to plough between the vines. There’s a larger proportion of Cabernet Franc here than is common in Bordeaux, and the wines of Les Carmes Haut-Brion have a dedicated following.