| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The second wine of Château Haut Brion is assembled from the vats that don't suit the final blend of Haut Brion itself. From 2007 onwards it has been known as Le Clarence de Haut-Brion (instead of Bahans Haut Brion), in tribute to Clarence Dillon who purchased Haut Brion in 1934. It is now also bottled in the iconic and distinctive Haut Brion bottle.
The 2025 is 67% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. 13.25% ABV. 17% new oak.
The 2025 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has a little more comeliness than the La Chapelle de la Mission, perhaps due to the higher percentage of Merlot (66.5%). Dark cherries, sous-bois, a touch more minéralité coming through by direct comparison. Just a very marginal ash-like scent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, firm in the mouth, a tad more backbone than expected. Delineated and delivering quite a potent, granular-textured finish, you can feel the mouth tingling with red peppercorns on the aftertaste. Great potential and a very fine Deuxième Vin. Drinking Window
2030 - 2048
A hedonistic second label, Clarence is darker-fruited than the Chapelle de la Mission even though it has more Merlot. Sweet forest fruit, coffee and sandalwood show on the nose and deliver on the palate. The tannins are granular, giving a lightly sandy texture against this heady mix of fruit and spice. A warm, generous expression of 2025.
The 2025 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, a blend of 66.5% Merlot, 28.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5.2% Cabernet Franc, reveals a floral bouquet with pronounced dark fruit, evolving toward cassis and spice with aeration. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and structured, it’s built around a deep core of fruit and has more marked freshness on the finish than La Chapelle, lending it a more ethereal profile, enhanced by menthol notes that reinforce this sense of lift. Comparable in density and structure to La Chapelle, it remains somewhat reserved at this stage and will require patience.
Structured yet refined, with polished tannins that run the length of the wine. Dark berries, smoke and cedar on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with very integrated tannins. Classy second wine from Haut Brion.
Succulent, coffee bean and cappuccino, excellent structure, high spice, beautiful grip and presence, 27hl/ha yield. Harvest September 1 to 18. 17% new oak. 3.69ph. 2034-2044.
The 2025 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is seamless and layered. Dark red-toned fruit, spice, new leather, mocha and plum race across the palate. Deep, ample and super expressive, Le Clarence has a ton to offer. This is very much the younger sibling of the Grand Vin. 2030-2045.
