- Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022 has been released for £1,320 per 12×75.
- ‘The best Les Carmes that Guillaume Pouthier has overseen’, said Neal Martin who rated it 96-98 points.
- Today’s release offers decent value, but buyers might want to consider the 2019 and 2021 vintages.
As part of this year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022 has been released at €108 per bottle ex-négociant, up 34.3% on the 2021 release (€80.4 per bottle).
It is being offered by the international trade for £1,320 per 12×75, up 39.2% on the 2021’s opening price (£948 per 12×75).
At this price, today’s release is a good buying opportunity for those able to secure an allocation. However, the lower scoring 2019 and 2021 vintages are also worth considering. See more pricing analysis below.
Liv-ex members ranked Les Carmes Haut-Brion among the top ten wines of the 2022 vintage in this year’s En Primeur Survey.
Critics’ scores
Neal Martin (Vinous) awarded the wine a barrel range of 96-98 points, calling the palate ‘just beautiful’ and loaded with ‘mineral-laden dark berry fruit’. He describes the 2022 Les Carmes as replete with ‘sculpted tannins’ and having a ‘seamless’ finish. In his words: ‘I am not inclined toward hyperbole, nevertheless, this is the best Les Carmes that Guillaume Pouthier has overseen’.
Yohan Castaing (Wine Advocate) awarded the wine a barrel range of 99-100 points. In his tasting note he said ‘the remarkable 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage’. He added ‘it’s also one of the most singular, characterful wines being produced in the region today’.
Jean-Marc Quarin scored the wine 99 points. He commented that it was ‘Ultra meticulous on the palate, very refined in the middle, with its indescribable brilliance, the wine evolves powerful and suave at the same time’.
James Suckling also questioned if it was ‘a new model for Bordeaux?’ and rated it 97-98 points.
Fair Value analysis
Using Liv-ex’s ‘Fair Value’ methodology, prices for Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion are 79% correlated to Neal Martin scores.
With a barrel range of 96-98 points from Neal Martin, today’s release is one of the highest-scoring Carmes Haut Brion on the market. It might, therefore, represent an exciting opportunity for those able to secure an allocation.
Buyers looking for other opportunities have several options. With a slightly lower score of 95 points from Neal Martin, the 2019 vintage sits on the Fair Value line and is available at a discount of 8.2% to today’s release.
Meanwhile, the 2021, 2017 and 2014 vintages all fall below the Fair Value line as well. The 2017 vintage has a Neal Martin (Vinous) score of 93 points and is available at a discount of 36.4% to today’s release. The 2014 vintage holds a score of 91 points and is available at a discount of 35.6% to today’s release.
Our Bordeaux En Primeur 2022 page contains everything you need to know about this year’s campaign. You can also sign up for our daily En Primeur email alerts using the form below.
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 620+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £100m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines.
