Le Clarence De Haut Brion 2021 (375ML)

94-95 JS / 91-93 WA / 92 DE / 90-92 VM / 91 JA

Lots of iodine and oyster-shell aromas, together with blackberry and black cherry, following through to a medium to full body. Polished yet slightly chewy tannins and a fresh finish. Grilled orange. 70.4% merlot, 18.2% cabernet sauvignon and 11.4% cabernet franc. - James Suckling

One of the finest second wines in this vintage is the 2021 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered wine evocative of dark berries, plums, pipe tobacco and burning embers. Built around powdery tannins and lively acids, it's an elegant, seamless cuvée that does bear more than a passing resemblance to the grand vin. - William Kelley, Wind Advocate

Dark chocolate and red cherries on the nose, so aromatic, rich and seductive. Joyful and lifted on the palate, strawberries and plums to the fore but creamy and chalky with such a sappy, agile and lively energy. Lightly framed so you get the aerial expansion of flavour but the texture that grips is chalky and mineral giving a welcome salinity and touch of tobacco and smoke that lands on the tongue. Beautifully presented, smooth and well defined, such succulence and density with no let up through the palate. Intensity, clarity and focus. An excellent second wine in 2021. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

The 2021 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is deep, fleshy and super-expressive. Like all of the wines in this vintage here, the Clarence is on the lighter side, but that is not a bad thing. Primary dark fruit, leather, spice and tobacco fill out the layers nicely. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Bright and vibrant ruby and violet in colour, and even with higher levels of Merlot in the blend this year, this is more structured and subdued than the Chapelle with the character diffrence between the two estates fairly marked. Has a feeling of solidity and depth, with a focus on black fruits and tight tannins, give it a good four or five years before opening. 28% new oak. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux