92 Wine Spectator

Handsomely structured and refined, with deft red currant and cherry flavors laced with bay leaf and cedar flavors that end with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2033. 95,000 cases made.

93 Wine Spectator

Powerful and pure-tasting, with plush dark plum, cherry tart and dark currant flavors. Refined and minerally on the finish, with dried mint accents and plenty of chocolaty richness. Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère. Drink now through 2025. 150 cases imported.

98 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

Another brilliant and unquestionably world-class wine from this estate, the 2023 Clos Apalte checks in as 66% Carmenere, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 13% Merlot that was aged 24 months in 80% new French oak. Darker berries, leafy tobacco, red peppercorns, and graphite, as well as a beautiful floral character, all emerge from the glass. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's pure, balanced, and elegant, with fine tannins, remarkable purity, and a great finish. I love it today, yet it will drink well for two decades. Drink 2026-2045.

97 Joaquín Hidalgo - Vinous Media

The 2023 Clos Apalta (66% Carménère, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot) opens with boldo and black fruit, along with a hint of soft ash and well-defined oak on the nose. The vintage streamlines the palate and adds fluidity, while lightly grippy tannins provide structure and grip, balanced by the estate's plush style. It is long on the finish, filling the palate and echoing the aromatics. A serious wine that increasingly reflects its origin and terroir.

97 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Deep but fleshier and rounder this year, showing more openness and supple fruit. A touch of balsamic as well, with some dark olives and hints of violets and paprika to the rich but honest core. Full-bodied with a creamy center palate. Long and resolved in the finish. A blend of 66% carmenere, 21% cabernet sauvignon and 13% merlot. Aged 19 months in barrels, including 70% new oak. Drink or hold.

97-98 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

This is always an idiosyncratic wine. This year it’s stunning, with a unique floral aspect and excellent depth of pure blue fruit, mulberries, dried herbs and white pepper. So juicy and mouthwatering on the palate, with a medium to full body and fine tannins. There is a crystalized mouthfeel, but the tannins are fresh and well knit. This is already delicious, which indicates its superb balance. 48% cabernet franc, 29% cabernet sauvignon and 23% merlot.

94-97 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

The 2024 Château Carmes Haut-Brion comes from 7.8 hectares of vines in the heart of Pessac and is 48% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance 23% Merlot that was vinified with 52% whole clusters and will spend two years in 70% new barrels as well as smaller portions in vats and amphora. It's one of the darker-hued wines in the vintage and has a terrific nose of ripe black fruits, smoky earth, violets, crushed stone, and hints of lead pencil. It's medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and a great finish. I think it's clearly one of the top wines in the vintage

95-97 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

Seamless and silky in the glass, with superb balance, the 2024 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is one of the wines of the vintage. All the elements are so well balanced, always a sign of a superior vintage at this address. Floral notes, spice, leather and mocha run through a core of layered, beautifully persistent dark red fruit. Harvest took place between September 17 and 25, during one of the rare windows with little rain. As always, Les Carmes is done with a high percentage of stems (52%), specifically 100% for the Cabernet Franc, 50% for the Merlot and 20% for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging is 70% new oak barrels, 19% 18HL foudre and 11% amphora. New oak is already very nicely integrated, another sign of a superb vintage. The 2024 is a brilliant effort by the team led by Technical Director Olivier Pouthier.

95-97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

Deep garnet-purple colored. Slowly unfurls to reveal classic Franc notes of red currant jelly, fresh blackberries, and pencil shavings, followed by hints of rose oil, fragrant soil, and crushed rocks. The light to medium-bodied palate shimmers with electric red and black berry flavors, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Nice!

96 Georgina Hindle - Decanter

This wine presents a perfumed, floral nose with red and pink flowers, transitioning to dark fruit with a pink-purple rim. Cool blue fruit and inky tones define the aromatics. Chalky and bright, it exhibits racy acidity and vibrant energy although remains relatively compact with firm, appealingly grippy tannins. The fruit is pure - cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry - lacking excessive ripeness but offering clarity. Notes of iodine, ink, salt, black pepper, liquorice, and graphite add complexity. Structured and intense yet refined, it avoids heaviness, with fine tannins forming a robust frame. The finish is long, clean, and slightly creamy, with enduring flavours. This really embodies Les Carmes’ chiselled character. With time, it gains sweetness, chewiness, and density, revealing greater depth. 52% whole bunch fermentation. Ageing occurs in 70% new barrels, 19% 18hl vats, and 11% amphorae, with a 3.61pH. Complex, structured, and profound.

94-96 Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Showing one of the deepest colors of the vintage, the wine pops with flowers, black cherries, licorice, smoke, chocolate, and plums in the aromatic profile. The wine is supple, spicy, and fragrant in the mouth, leaving you with sweet, spicy, peppery, black cherries, marine influences, and crushed rocks which come through in the mid-palate, through to the finish. The wine was made using 52% whole bunch clusters, blending 48% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 23% Merlot, 13.2% ABV, pH 3.6. The wine is aging in a combination of 70% new, French oak, 19% foudres and 11% amphora. Picking took place September 17- September 27. Drink from 2027-2047.