I am surprised by this wine, it is not what I expected.
With a Leve 99, I was thinking blood sugar liquid sex mocha magix.
It’s not that at all. In fact, I’m surprised Jeffois is 99 on this. This is not Lascombes, Troplong Mondot, Smith Haut Lafite, Cos, and all those other wines that have gone Frankenstein on us.
This wine is quite fresh and medium weight on the palate. Finesse and silk. And ready to go. While the nose is a bit reticent, it is quite open on the palate.
I just got in the 375s that I ordered at Leve’s insistence. This has been a long-standing favorite Chateau of mine, and for a very long time, quite a sleeper. I have always adored its Cab Franc profile. I have always been surprised that Levenberg was not as big a fan of this wine, in the past, as was I. I am a big fan of 2010, 2005, 2000, 1999 and so on. And it has always been quite a value.
New ownership brought about substantial changes both in facilities and winemaking. Some new amphora techniques, whole cluster, changes in the cepage, and voila, we have a whole new wine. This is not the Les Carmes of the past, with its dusty, often herbaceous notes with crisp red fruits. This wine reeks less of Pessac-Leognan, and it is definitely leaning international in style, but still feels like Bordeaux. Polished Bordeaux, but not over the top. The palate has a broad range of red to wild dark fruits, but it’s the structure, acid and freshness that abounds. It’s interesting that I had the 2016 Ovid Hexameter a couple days ago, with its near equal cut of Cab Franc. This Les Carmes is substantially better. Less presence of new oak, no abrasive astringency. The Les Carmes still has a tangy red-fruit quality about it. Neither express Cab Franc the way I like it, with its tobacco and green streak, which is what Les Carmes expressed in the past (a Loire fan’s Bordeaux). But the Cab Franc cut clearly defines this wine, giving it lift and acid. Finishes with a crisp, dusty chocolate note.
This 2016 is better than its 2014 version, and substantially better than 2012. It seems like 2012 was more about new techniques than the materials, the 2014 is pulling it all together (I like it), and 2016 is when the wine really hits. If this is the expression of Les Carmes’ new style, this is an impressive modern Bordeaux. This is international done well. That said, I would still backfill over new purchases. The 2010 has more soul and truly expresses its terroir, while this 2016 is just flat out delicious. Chose what you like, but I want a connection in wine. A sense of place. New Bordeaux is losing that quality.
As a side note, I just grabbed more 2000 for about $100 per, which is less than 2018 futures and substantially less that current pricing on 2016. That’s a no-brainer, in my book. By the way, I went by Total Wine to grab these 2016s, and they still had 2014 on the shelves for $59.00. Not a bad purchase at all.
Sorry for the wishy-washy note here, but I am wishy-washy on this wine. The pleasure senses love it, the brain wants more.
.