Château Laffitte Carcasset 2023

Dark fruit, stony notes; a fresh palate showing verticality and freshness, the tannins make their mark and add grip; fresh, red-fruited finish.

Brambly red-fruit aromatics presage a palate of high-toned fruit—and I like the energy to this wine, as one of the better showings among the Cru Bourgeois tasted. It just lacks enough sumptuousness compared to some other Cru Bourgeois, but give it time in barrel—aged in 50% new oak—and let’s see to what extent the palate will broaden. Conservative score. Tasted twice with similar results.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Ripe wild berries, delicate hint of liquorice, black cherry, fine herbal savouriness. Medium body, good complexity, blackberry, fine tannins, subtle acidity, mineral on the finish, already accessible.

Pretty austere on the opening, but there is plenty of dark cassis and bilberry fruit here, with cigar box, cocoa bean, spiced herbs, in line with En Primeur, and a good quality wine. 50% new oak, 45% one year, 5% amphora for ageing. Pierre Rousseau owner, serious investments underway including new cellar and vineyard restructuring. Cru Bourgeois Supérieur.

Score: 87–89. Superb elegance of a bouquet full of finesse, with powdery floral notes and delicate fruit. The palate is more intense, with an imposing tannic structure that masks the fruit. The finish lacks acidity.

The bouquet is somewhat reluctant to reveal itself, or to show detail. It needs aeration before finally displaying nuances of black berries, cocoa beans and graphite. With compact tannins, the wine is creamy, linear and structured. It has respectable power and an acidity that provides tension and definition. A wine that needs time to open up, but the outlook is very promising.

Flowers, licorice, chocolate and black cherries fill the perfume. The palate is equal to the task with its display of round, soft-textured, black with red fruits. While already charming, this will be even better with a few more years in the bottle. Drink from 2027-2037.

With roughly 10,000 cases produced, the 2023 Château Laffitte Carcasset is based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc and aged 12 months in 50% new French oak. Lots of classic Saint-Estèphe red and blue fruits, leafy herbs, and Asian spice nuances all shine here, and it's medium-bodied on the palate, with a nicely balanced, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, nicely integrated tannins, and a great finish. It's drinking nicely today yet I see no reason it shouldn't evolve for 10-15 years. Drink 2026-2038.

Dark, intense, purple color. Very aromatic nose with ripe fruit notes. A hint of truffle. Delicate on the attack, aromatic through the mid-palate, pleasant and juicy, the wine finishes with black fruit flavors, a medium body and a touch of freshness. Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 13.2% - pH: 3.72. Yield: 48 hl/ha.

Owned by the de Padirac family since the 1950s and a Cru Bourgeois since 1932, this 75-acre vineyard on a gravelly plateau has produced a generously proportioned wine. Rich in tannins and blackcurrant fruit dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, its black cherry aromas and succulent acidity will allow this fine wine to age well. Drink from 2028.

The 2023 Laffitte-Carcasset is laced with expressive red-toned fruit, iron, white pepper, herbs, mint and dried flowers. Medium in body yet quite driving in its insistence, Laffitte-Carcasset has a lot to offer.