2023 Le Clarence de Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
A serious, focused effort, the 2023 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion offers blackcurrants, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, graphite, and damp earth on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, plenty of tannins, and a great finish. It's more firm and structured compared to the La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion and will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age. Drink 2028-2048.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is quite the powerhouse. Ample and potent to the core, Le Clarence is a standout. Black cherry fruit, mocha, gravel, incense, licorice and chocolate fill out the wine's ample, full-bodied frame. Even with all of its natural intensity, Le Clarence is quite polished in its tannin profile.
The 2023 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has a more expressive bouquet compared to the La Chapelle, a mixture of red and black fruit, black pepper and clove, a little feistier than expected. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a little riper and plusher than the La Chapelle, a little more flesh on the pepper finish.
As with En Primeur, this is deeper and richer in colour and in its tannic construction than La Chapelle, and both are a true reflection of the style of their main estate wine in this vintage. This is superb, full of plummy black fruits and softly unrolling spices, with pumice stone, slate and graphite character that makes it very much a stately Left Bank. 23% new oak for ageing. A buy.
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.