Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2019

Very suave, offering cassis, mulled plum and cherry compote notes that have nice inner freshness, with subtle iron, red tea and savory accents filtering through on the refined finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035.

Heady red cherries on the nose, deep and seductive. Great energy here, this is pulsing with life, good roundness but also a cooling element – touches of chewy blue fruits, mint, graphite, pencil lead and minerality all of which give texture and nuance. Round and plump in texture and mouthfeel but really well defined and linear with straight-talking fruit. Great drive to a crystalline finish. Gorgeous. A blend of 72.8% Merlot, 16.3% Cabernet Franc and 10.9% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is very beautiful with pure blackcurrant and rose-petal aromas, together with wet earth and black truffle, following through to a medium- to full-bodied palate with ultra-fine tannins that coat the mouth and deliver a fantastic impression. The complexity of flavor is so satisfying on the finish. Try after 2026.

The 2019 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is just as impressive as it was en primeur. Dark and brooding, Le Clarence is marked by its brooding intensity and youthful reticence. It is far from an easygoing second wine. Black cherry, graphite, incense, spice, leather and game emerge, but only over time. This is impressive, but it needs cellaring.

Medium-bodied, elegant, fresh and filled with essences of smoked red fruits, savory herbs, cigar wrapper and plums. The palate delivers ample, dark red fruit, a dash of chocolate and black cherries shine through on the richly textured, vivacious backend. This is a solid example of a Jr. Haut-Brion for a fraction of the price of the Grand Vin. Drink from 2023-2037.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Hint of liquorice, wild black berries, dark cherries, a hint of wood, hints of cranberries. Elegant, harmonious and well-developed, wild red berry confit, fine tannins, subtle sweetness on the finish, lemony-mineral touch, a multi-faceted food wine.

A lovely second wine with brilliant purity, rich and vigorous dark fruit notes, tobacco, leather and graphite. The palate has volume, charm and roundness with seductive fruit and great length.

The 2019 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion shows classic Pessac elegance in its beautiful bouquet of pure cassis and darker currant fruits as well as smoked tobacco, scorched earth, violets, and truffly earth. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated second wine that has notable structure, plenty of incredibly fine-grained tannins, and a great finish. It unquestionably shows classic Haut-Brion character and is a classy, balanced, elegant Pessac to drink over the coming 15-20 years.

48.7% Merlot, 8.1% Cabernet Franc, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% vol. Deep purple with a lightening rim. A compact black-berry bouquet layered with plenty of spice—cardamom, hints of graphite, and Dominican tobacco. On the palate, powerful, with a slightly powdery extract and a fine, sandy texture; you can feel the strength and depth of the second wine. The focused, long-lasting finish shows blue berries, lavender, and a noble mineral core. In terms of the blend, the wine recalls 2011, with a similarly high proportion of Merlot. Currently showing as (still) introverted.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (72.8% Merlot, 16.3% Cabernet Franc, 10.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% vol. alcohol) Dense, elegant, velvety, fresh bouquet; plums, currants, licorice, dried fruits, light tobacco, mint, fine herbs. Tightly knit, multi-layered palate with precise fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a creamy structure, diverse, sweet aromatics, and a long, powerful, full finish.

(72.8% Merlot, 16.3% Cabernet Franc, 10.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% alc./vol.) Dense, elegant, velvety, fresh bouquet with plum, currants, licorice, dried fruit, light tobacco, mint, fine herbs. Tightly knit, multi-layered palate with delicate fruit, plenty of fine tannins, creamy structure, diverse, sweet-toned aromatics, long, powerful, full finish. 18/20 2024 - 2042

Seductive smoked tobacco leaf on the nose, with an immediate unrolling of liquorice, slate, brambled blackberry and loganberry fruits. You get a slight trace of heat but this is charming and utterly moreish, with a concentration and depth that reflect the house signature and the promise of more to come. Clear ageing potential. Harvest from September 10 to October 3.

Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2019 is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little coaxing to bring out notes of warm blackcurrants, black cherries, and mulberries, plus touches of pencil shavings and violets. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with bright, shimmery fruit, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and minerally.

[ En Primeur score 2019: 94-95 ] Open and precise nose, spicy and smoky, a very fine texture, firm tannins, an obvious sense of terroir nobility, and an almost accessible price, while still offering access to the inimitable character of the terroir.

A hedonistic nose, rich with coffee, ripe fruit and juniper berries, with charming vanilla aromas. On the palate, a deft balance of intensity and freshness, notes of spice and candied fruit, with a gently saline finish and a bitterness that recalls those juniper berries. Plenty of presence and power, yet with obvious charm.

The nose is elegant, racy, and offers harmony along with a certain measured power. It reveals notes of pulpy strawberry, blackberry, and, more subtly, bright red berries, combined with touches of violet and rose, as well as a discreet hint of fresh tobacco and a subtle hint of pepper. The palate is fruity, balanced, nicely dynamic, and offers elegance, delicacy, lovely definition, a tangy/mineral backbone, roundness, smoothness, beautiful fine-grained texture, refined creaminess, and a slightly airy feel in the way its richness is handled. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry, juicy/pulpy raspberry, and, more lightly, fleshy strawberry, together with touches of violet, crushed cherry, fine hints of racy minerality, sweet blond tobacco, toasted almond, and a touch of cinnamon and vanilla. The tannins are precise and finely plush.

Dark, intense, purple and beautiful color. Very aromatic nose, delicate, fruity, pure and complex. The smoothness of this wine on the attack is formidable. It also caresses the palate, juicy and suave, with deep aromas, leading to a long, sappy and perfumed finish. It's superb. After a formidable 2018, here is the second vintage of Clarence that I prefer in recent years. The selection has become stricter by eliminating a plot located in front of the university library.

The wine's density and dusty tannins are impressive. This second wine of Haut-Brion has concentration while also focusing on black fruits. It is a powerful wine while also having plenty of style and focused balance. Drink from 2026.