2018 Le Clarence de Haut Brion
Buying options
Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Pale rim. Dried fruits on the nose. A little simple with some drying tannins on the end. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, which impressed from barrel, has a gorgeous, sensual bouquet of showy black fruit, potpourri and incense, almost Saint-Émilion in style and very well defined. The focused, poised palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, very good tension and splendid weight on the finish. It ranks as one of the best Second Wines of Haut-Brion that I have tasted. Not to be underestimated.
A rocking second wine, the 2018 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion (58% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) offers lots of ripe blackcurrants, cassis, damp earth, tobacco leaf, violets, and spring flower-like aromas and flavors. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and elegant on the palate, it's a more focused, backward wine than the La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion and needs 4-5 years of bottle age (at a minimum) and will evolve for 20+ years or more.
The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has really come out of its shell. Bold, juicy and super-expressive, Le Clarence is so polished and sophisticated. Dried herbs, cedar, tobacco, licorice and coffee lift out of the glass. Medium in body and wonderfully persistent, the Clarence is a real beauty.
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.