Appellations

Clarence Haut Brion (2nd wine of Haut Brion) 2018

Pessac-Leognan, Second wine

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Tasting Notes

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.

Score: 93 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025 - 2038 Date: 26 August 2021

The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is soft and understated. Bright floral notes, sweet red berry fruit and soft, silky tannins give the wine its gracious, classy personality. The 2018 offers lovely freshness in a soft, fruity style that holds quite a bit of near-term appeal. The blend is 58.2% Merlot, 28.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.7% Cabernet Franc and 3.6% Petit Verdot.

Score: 89 - 91 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Date: 01 April 2019

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.

Score: 92 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022 - 2036 Date: 18 August 2021

The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion does not quite possess the delineation of the La Chapelle de la Mission this year, yet still offers attractive blackberry, bilberry and incense aromas that gradually find their voice. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. There is more depth and grip here than La Chapelle, clearly more weight towards the assertive and structured finish. This has very good potential.

Score: 90 - 92 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2036 Date: 01 November 2019

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.

Score: 93 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2025 - 2045 Date: 18 July 2021

The second wine of Haut-Brion, made from 58.2% Merlot, 28.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2018 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion sports a deeper purple color as well as rocking notes of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, and earth. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's already approachable but will keep for two decades.

Score: 93 - 95 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Date: 01 May 2019

The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is composed of 58.2% Merlot, 28.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.7% Cabernet Franc and 3.6% Petit-Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it jumps up out of the glass with exuberant notes of black cherry compote, baked plums and blackberry pie, plus hints of star anise, underbrush and charcoal. The medium to full-bodied palate has impressive freshness with finely grained tannins supporting the juicy black fruits, finishing on an earthy note.

Score: 92 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023 - 2040 Date: 11 July 2021

The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is a blend of 58.2% Merlot, 28.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.7% Cabernet Franc and 3.6% Petit-Verdot, harvested September 6 to October 2. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with a very serious nose of earthy layers—tilled soil, truffles, underbrush and crushed rocks—giving way to notions of Black Forest cake, kirsch and redcurrant jelly with wafts of cassis and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, the palate is sparked with fantastic energy, featuring layers of red and black fruits with a smooth, rounded texture and lively minty kick to the finish.

Score: 92 - 94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Date: 23 April 2019

The structure is more evident in Haut-Brion's Clarence than in La Mission's Chapelle - the former is not as luscious but has greater depth and the encircling walls that make this feel like the fruit is cosseted and will age well. It has a clear link to the grand vin. 3.6% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. A 44hl/ha yield, despite hail for just the third time in 30 years. 3.84pH. IPT68.

Score: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2026-2040 Date: 15 April 2019

This is an excellent second wine from Haut-Brion with fantastic depth of fruit and structure. Full yet very energetic and a long, linear finish. Shows great length.

Score: 94 - 95 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 11 April 2019