Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is very beautiful with pure blackcurrant and rose-petal aromas, together with wet earth and black truffle, following through to a medium-to full-bodied palate with ultra-fine tannins that coat the mouth and deliver a fantastic impression. The complexity of flavor is so satisfying in the finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made from 73% Merlot, this second wine of Château Haut-Brion is ripe, full, and generously structured. It is a second wine that has its own strong personality. Some serious tannins for texture and chocolate richness support the blackberry fruits. The wine will certainly age well and over a long period.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion shows classic Pessac elegance in its beautiful bouquet of pure cassis and darker currant fruits as well as smoked tobacco, scorched earth, violets, and truffly earth. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated second wine that has notable structure, plenty of incredibly fine-grained tannins, and a great finish. It unquestionably shows classic Haut-Brion character and is a classy, balanced, elegant Pessac to drink over the coming 15-20 years. Best After 2022
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is a blend of 72.8% Merlot, 16.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10.9% Cabernet Franc, harvested from the 10th of September to the 3rd of October. The estimated label alcohol degree is 15%. With a deep garnet-purple color, it springs from the glass with vivacious notes of crushed black and red plums, redcurrant jelly and wild blueberries plus suggestions of forest floor, lilacs, black olives and menthol. The medium to full-bodied palate practically quivers with energy, framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing on a lingering aniseed note. Simply delicious!
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
Decanter
This is a pretty serious and structured Clarence, with firm tannins that give walls and form to the wine overall. Has depth and character to the black fruits, and is one where the Merlot character is almost masquerading as Cabernet Sauvignon. Great quality, with ageing potential and one that gives a real step towards the first wine.
Barrel Sample: 93
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.