Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is another second wine that tastes more like a grand vin. Made from 51.3% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it too is deeply colored and has a classic Haut Brion bouquet of minerals, crushed rocks, cassis, graphite, and violet. With medium to full-bodied richness, good concentration, building tannins, and impeccable balance, it’s more supple and sexy that it’s big brother yet still has the balance, structure, and depth to keep for two decades. It’s a stunning wine in its own right.
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James Suckling
The wild-blackberry and smoky nose draws you into this excellent Pessac-Léognan that marries concentration and freshness beautifully, feeling deceptively light on the palate, thanks to its lively acidity. Long, cool and minerally finish. The second wine of Haut-Brion and a blend of 51.3 per cent merlot, 33 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 13.1 per cent cabernet franc, and 2.6 per cent petit verdot. Try in 2021.
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Wine Enthusiast
The second wine of Haut-Brion reflects the same structure as the first. Here, the fruit is already showing well, giving a fresher element that will allow it to develop more quickly. Drink from 2024.
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Decanter
The spicy notes are clear on the nose, this feels young and subdued yet full of life. It is more sombre in its fruit expression than La Chapelle, the tannic structure holding on tightly to the fruit, but after a minute in the glass the juice comes to the fore – this clearly has great life ahead of it. 2.6% Petit Verdot completes the blend.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 51.3% Merlot, 13.1% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.6% Petit Verdot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion features beautiful rose hip tea, fallen leaves and black olives scents over a core of redcurrant jelly, cassis and pencil shavings plus touches of menthol and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate is finely crafted with delicate red and black fruits laced with loads of earthy accents, framed by grainy tannins and finishing on a lingering mineral note.
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Wine Spectator
Still a touch tight, but there are alluring mesquite and tea nuances peeking out from the core of steeped plum and raspberry fruit flavors, while a solid iron spine drives the tobacco-infused finish. Offers juicy energy in reserve, with the fruit detail taking an encore at the very end, boding well for the cellar. Very refined. Best from 2022 through 2036.
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.