Château Laffitte Carcasset 2018

Gently steeped plum and black currant fruit is mixed with a handful of savory, dark olive and bay accents, ending with a brushstroke of warm earth on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030. 8,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.

Lifted menthol and cassis nose with blackcurrant leaves and figs. Crunchy and clean on the palate, with a lovely salty, inky grip; tannins are fine but extremely present, coating the mouth and tongue.

Blackcurrants, brambleberries, walnut husks, dried leaves and dark spices on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Fresh and structured. Crushed stone comes through in the aftertaste. Better from 2024.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Barrel sample. Clean, direct nose but a bit timid and without the precision of some wines from this appellation. Lots of tannin and a fair whack of ripe fruit in the middle. Perhaps more acceptable to those who find many St-Estèphes too austere? (JR)

A good jolt of bright, fresh, sweet red currants, with cedar and tobacco leaf, forms the core of this chewy, full-bodied, fruit-filled wine. Perhaps not the most complex wine out there, but it’s hard to find a more characterful Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine for the money.

Lots of plum and assorted darker fruit as well as leafy herbs emerge from the 2018 Château Laffitte Carcasset. It’s medium to full-bodied, plump, and enjoyable on the palate, with ripe tannins and impressive length on the finish.

The bouquet of the 2018 shows great finesse and subtlety. There isn’t any particularly dominant element, but there are many nuances, with notes of black pepper, licorice stick, eucalyptus and dark fruits, completed by a touch of graphite, often found on gravelly terroirs. On the palate, the wine displays density and harmony. It is linear and unfolds seamlessly, with finesse. The somewhat fleshy tannins are perfectly integrated and provide appreciable power, while the acidity ensures a mouthwatering edge, even a saline note on the finish. A harmonious, elegant wine that is beginning to fulfill its ambitions for finesse as well as power. A fine success.

The nose is fresh, mineral, racy, offering lovely freshness and power. It reveals notes of fresh blackberry, ripe/fresh wild strawberry and, more subtly, liquorice, joined by fine touches of blackcurrant, cornflower, racy minerality, and very delicate hints of tonka bean. The palate is fresh, fruity, balanced, with lovely definition, freshness, tension, precision, and a crisp, zesty backbone. On the palate, this wine shows notes of juicy/fresh blackcurrant and, more lightly, juicy/fresh blackberry, combined with small touches of fresh red fruits (cherry, raspberry), fine hints of chocolate, toast, caramelization, and an imperceptible hint of tonka bean and cardamom.

Logo on the cork: CS

The estate on the plateau of Saint-Estèphe is well situated to produce this rich, full-bodied wine. Broad tannins give the dry core essential for aging. They are balanced by black-currant fruits from the 50% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. It will age well; drink from 2025.

The 2018 Laffitte-Carcasset is gorgeous, just as it was from barrel. This mid-weight Saint-Estèphe impresses with its nuance and delineation. Bright red fruit, iron, menthol, anise, cedar and rose petal lend uncommon complexity, while fine grained tannins give the wine proportion and drive. This polished, under the radar gem is a real delight. Laffitte-Carcasset is an especially delicate wine for the appellation.