Clarendelle Inspired by Haut-Brion Blanc 2015
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Blend: 49% Semillon, 45% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Muscadelle
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2021-
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James
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James
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Clarendelle, Inspired by Haut-Brion is created by Prince Robert de Luxembourg and named in honour of Mr Clarence Dillon, his great-grandfather, who acquired Château Haut-Brion in 1935.
A member of the eminent Domaine Clarence Dillon family of wines (Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion & Quintus), the style of the Clarendelle wines is dictated by an expression of the Bordeaux terroir which aims to produce subtle elegance in age-worthy wines.
Every year, we revisit the blends in order to reflect only the finest parcels of wine in each individual vintage resulting from long-term partnerships with local winegrowers, attentive to environmental issues. The red wines come primarily from the Saint-Émilion the Haut-Medoc, and the Pessac-Leognan regions (including the Domaine Clarence Dillon estates). The white wines come mainly from the Graves region (including Pessac-Leognan). Like the Haut-Brion wines, Clarendelle offers its assurance by representing an uncompromising quality and consistency with every vintage. We ensure proper aging of our wines in state-of-the-art, eco-friendly wine storage facilities that allow for the ideal aging conditions. This guarantees that our wines reveal their natural refinement and elegance over time.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
One of the most important wine regions of the world, Bordeaux is a powerhouse producer of wines of all colors, sweetness levels, and price points. Separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a coastal pine forest, this relatively flat region has a mild maritime climate, marked by cool wet winters and warm summers. Annual weather differences create significant vintage variations, making Bordeaux an exciting French wine region to follow.
The Gironde estuary, a defining feature of Bordeaux, separates most of the region into the Left Bank and the Right Bank. Farther inland, where the Gironde splits into the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, the bucolic, rolling hills of the area in between, called Entre-Deux-Mers, is a source of great quality, approachable reds and whites.
The Left Bank, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, contains the Médoc, Graves, and Sauternes, as well as the region’s most famous chateaux. Merlot is important here as the perfect blending grape for Cabernet Sauvignon adding plush fruit and softening Cabernet's sometimes hefty tannins. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec may also be used in the Left Bank Bordeaux wine blends.
Merlot is the principal Bordeaux wine variety of the Right Bank; Cabernet Franc adds structure and complexity to Merlot, creating wines that are concentrated, supple, and more imminently ready for drinking, compared with their Left Bank counterparts. Key appellations of the Right Bank include St. Emilion and Pomerol.
Dry and sweet Bordeaux white wines are produced throughout the region from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and sometimes Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris. Some of the finest dry whites can be found in the Graves sub-appellation of Pessac-Léognan, while Sauternes is undisputedly the gold standard for sweet wines. Small amounts of rosé and sparkling Bordeaux wines are made in the region as well.