Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2020

Juicy, crisp and fresh, with a high fruit component but also a firm, core-like structure; pleasing, yet it should benefit from some aging.

Dark fruits on the nose, plum and blackcurrant with a gentle fragrance. Nice body and weight in the mouth, round and juicy, plump and alive with lovely energy and focus. Tannins are fine and do well to give quite a wide frame while the fruit stays in the centre. Lovely lingering fruit and spiced flavours on the mid-palate, this is long and really keeps the intensity from start to finish with a menthol, aerated aspect. Feels extremely well made, not pushed too hard, everything in balance. Juicy, supple, crunchy even with a hint of silky creaminess at the back. Not massively layered but packing a punch in terms of flavour and purity. 1.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Aromas of blackcurrants and blueberries. Lots of stones, too. Full-bodied and chewy with plenty of crushed cement. Chewy finish. Medium at the end. Drink after 2027.

Flowers, cherry pipe tobacco, wild cherries, and cigar wrapper nuances create the nose. On the palate, the wine is powerful, rich, and long with layers of lush, plush, opulent fruit. There is a touch of heat, but with so much fruit, the heat is absorbed by all those ripe, and very ripe red fruits. 15% ABV. Drink from 2025–2040.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, brightening at the rim. Inviting black cherries, fine wood savouriness, nuances of blackberries and tobacco. Juicy, elegant, cherry and blueberry fruit, good acidity, fine, integrated tannins, very persistent, rather slender style, harmonious and already accessible.

Introverted opening, delicate black-berry contours, dark minerality and Brazilian tobacco, followed by elderberry jelly and violet perfume. On the compact palate with a finely sandy texture, grainy extract, a supportive tannic frame, and a sinewy body. In the focused finish the Pessac folds in on itself; patience is required. Noble bitterness on the retro-aroma. Drinking window pushed back.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: a velvety, finely creamy, powerful bouquet of blueberries, plums, tobacco and nougat. A densely interwoven, finely etched, fresh palate with powerful, delicate fruit, a dense, elegant structure, powerful, sweet aromatics, fine tannins, and a long, persistent finish.

Silky, finely creamy, powerful bouquet of blueberries, plums, tobacco, nougat. A tightly woven, finely structured, fresh palate with powerful, precise fruit, a dense, elegant structure, intense sweet aromatics, fine tannins, and a long, powerful finish. 18/20 2026 - 2045

Concentrated spice notes, a seductive texture of slate and satin, with aromatics of incense, rosemary, and cut herbs. These are big, fully ripe tannins, cradling blackberry fruit and Christmas pudding spice. A serious wine, but one with a smile on its face.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion offers up classic scents of juicy plums and cassis with nuances of pencil shavings, crushed rocks, and underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate is finely crafted, with tight-knit black fruits and earthy accents bound within, and a firm, grainy texture and compelling freshness, finishing long and earthy.

Fresh and floral on the nose, playful. A touch more serious on the palate, with intense fruit richness and acidity, and impressive purity.

Compared to La Chapelle de Mission, Clarence is reserved. It expresses itself sparingly on the nose, while the palate shows a fresh yet fleshy profile. It has spirit and tight but precise tannins. Clarence reveals itself convincingly, with clear inspiration from the grand vin. A high-flying Clarence that clearly deserves time in the cellar.

Classically elegant with generous dark fruit aromas, tobacco and fine oak. Good density and weight with grainy tannins, modest oak, some aromatic herbal spiciness like sage and bay leaf adding freshness, discreet oak, fresh acidity and good length.

93–95. Barrel Sample. This year, the second wine of Haut-Brion brings out much of the initial austerity of its senior sibling. It has tannins and fruits that are centered around the wine's structure. Expect this wine to age well.