Château Haut-Carles 2021

The 2021 Château de Carles reveals an oaky, spicy bouquet with aromas of pepper, pencil lead, licorice and coniferous forest. A blend of 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, this somber wine is medium-bodied, firm and concentrated, with a green finish.

Juicy and lively, lots of life and a sense of style to this. Bright raspberry with a herbal edge, with a touch of both creaminess and tension on the palate. The tannins have bite, with some spiced and salty edges that linger around the mouth, but the texture is quite smooth. Nicely made, not trying too hard, with good weight on the palate. Missing a touch more vibrancy, but this is a good effort.

A creamy and juicy red with notes of hazelnuts, currants, coriander and lemon rind. It’s medium-bodied with nicely integrated and creamy tannins. Delicious finish. Drink or hold.

Chocolate-covered black cherries, licorice and espresso come through on the nose with no effort. Medium-bodied, soft, round and vibrant, with a finish focused on red cherry, chocolate, and red plum. Drink from 2024–2033.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Precious wood savouriness, dark fruit of blackberries and cherries, a hint of liquorice. Juicy, ripe cherries, ripe, fine tannins, mineral, good freshness, accessible, well-adhering style, lemony finish.

Medium to deep ruby with a purple hue. Pure and modern nose offering some new oak, toasted notes and darker fruit, wild berries and plum. Ample palate, still youthful but with moderated extraction, a fresh backbone, digest dark fruit notes, finely spicy with a long and supple finish.

A slightly bigger wine based on 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Château De Carles Haut-Carles has juicy Bing cherry and mulberry fruit that gives way to smoky tobacco and chocolaty oak. It's medium-bodied, has a fleshy, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's going to drink nicely for a decade.

In bottle, this is dark ruby red in colour, and shows impressive mid-palate expansion, unusual for the vintage. Oak is evident, adding a touch of cocoa bean, liquorice, and aniseed, along with black cherry and raspberry. One to watch in this vintage. 90% new oak, Hubert de Boüard consulting. A one-point upgrade, as with their main estate wine.

The 2021 Haut-Carles from de Carles is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It features punchy notes of juicy plums and black cherries, followed by hints of balsamic, cedar, and dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate is chewy and lively, with a good amount of blackberry preserve flavors, finishing spicy.

On the nose, sweet, vibrant red-fruit aromas take the lead. The palate is rich, soft yet energetic, with satisfying substance on the finish. A wine that delivers pleasure.

Beautiful deep, sustained red. Intense nose with ripe, spicy fruit. Caressing on entry, very fruity mid-palate, the wine develops juicy, tasty and pleasant. Good length with no hard edges. It's good!

At the time of tasting, the élevage still takes the lead, with pronounced toasty and roasted notes that lock down the dark fruit. The palate is more expressive, showing firm flesh framed by strict tannins on the verge of astringency. This wine has plenty going for it but needs time to soften.