2009 Le Clarence de Haut Brion
Buying options
Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Light nose. Ripe, fresh fruit. Intense and with good concentration on the palate but a bit aggressive and the opposite of mellow. Long, though, and youthful.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin, Vinous
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Light nose. Ripe, fresh fruit. Intense and with good concentration on the palate but a bit aggressive and the opposite of mellow. Long, though, and youthful. (JR)
The 2009 Clarence de Haut-Brion has a refined and elegant bouquet with pure red fruit, undergrowth, clove and leather, perhaps just a little brettanomyces becoming more obvious with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, rounded in texture with truffle and leather infused red fruit. There is fine grip on the finish and it should continue to age extremely well in bottle. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
The second wine of Haut-Brion, the 2009 Le Clarence Haut Brion checks in as 46% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Offering a classic bouquet of blackcurrants, scorched earth, roasted herbs and earthy, gravely nuances, this beauty is broad, expansive and full-bodied on the palate, with ample depth, density, and structure. There’s no harm drinking bottles today, yet it has two decades of longevity ahead of it as well.
About the producer
Ch. Haut-Brion is the only classified growth in Pessac-Léognan. One of the five First Growths, it is renowned for producing both exceptional reds and whites. Along with its sister estate, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, it is part of the Clarence Dillon stable.