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Second red wine of Haut-Brion, named as such since 2008 (previously Ch.Bahans Haut-Brion). To underline the stylistic kinship with his big brother, Le Clarence is put in the same very special bottle.
The 2018 vintage in the press:
Vinous (A. Galloni - March 2021): 93/100 “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.”
Vinous (N. Martin - January 2021): 92/100 “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."
More- To keep or to drink:
- Wait 3 to 5 years
- Apogée:
- 2028-2045
- Potential alcohol:
- 14.5%
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Although Les Carmes is adjacent to Haut-Brion and its vines were once part of those of Haut-Brion, the wines produced there are radically different from those of its prestigious neighbour. Due to a particular subsoil with the presence of clay, the vines are mainly Cabernet Franc (42%) and Merlot (40%) and the wines, deep and tasty, have an immediate generosity more typical of the right bank than the left bank. The new team set up following the acquisition in 2010 immediately propelled Les Carmes to the top of the Pessac-Léognan's wines.
The 2018 vintage in the press:
Vinous (N. Martin - April 2022): 94/100 "The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was aged in 75% new oak with a touch more matured in foudres. It includes 55% whole bunches. This has a slight confit-like aroma on the nose, plush cranberry and wild strawberry intermingling with cassis and violet; aromatically, this is the more precocious recent vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine tannins, clean and pure with excellent acidity keeping everything on an even keel towards the finish. The 2018 has a caressing texture and is very persistent. I might quibble and say that I just find the nose a little trop, but the palate is superb."
More- To keep or to drink:
- Wait 5 to 10 years
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.5%
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Haut-Brion is the most famous of all the Bordeaux growths, having twice been classified as 1er grand cru, in 1855 and again in 1959 (Graves classification). Haut-Brion is both the oldest of the Grands Crus, with more than five centuries (since 1509) behind it, and the most innovative, introducing stainless steel vats as early as 1960 and green harvesting as early as 1980.
Its particular situation within the Bordeaux agglomeration makes it the earliest Premier Cru on the left bank, a clear advantage in less mature vintages. For this reason, Haut-Brion's consistency is a benchmark for the whole of Bordeaux, with the intense bouquet of fresh earth, smoke and pine resin so characteristic of the appellation.
Fortunately, the unique silhouette of its bottle has disrupted the Asian market and has not triggered the same speculative interest there as it has for the other 1er grands crus classés. Haut-Brion is today without question the most qualitative and the least expensive of the premiers.The 2018 vintage in the press:
En Magnum (April 2021): 100/100 “When it was tasted en primeur, I had been very impressed by this haut-brion. I remember finding it extremely complete. In bottle, I find this incredible side that sums up everything I love in a great Bordeaux. The caress, the velvety texture, the nobility of texture and tannins, and this great personality that is absolutely unique. [...] Beauty, fullness, velvety concentration, at once the style of the greatest of Pomerol and that of the greatest of the Médoc, always with the terroir and personality of the cru.”
La Revue du Vin de France (September 2021): 99/100 “Mellow, the wine's flesh remains paradoxically taut, tight, and finishes its parade on the palate with an impression of lanky grace. The evolutionary potential of this great vintage is enormous”.
J-M Quarin (November 2021): 98/100 “Shaking the glass brings out the raspberry and refined nuances. Mellow on the entry, full and yet melting in the middle, with a crazy aromatic power towards the finish and lots of taste, the wine finishes particularly long, on a magnificent grain of tannin.”
Vinous (A. Galloni - March 2021): 97/100 "The 2018 Haut-Bion is an infant, but its balance and potential are both amply evident. Rich and deep in the glass, the 2018 opens to reveal tremendous complexity and nuance, qualities that only grow with time. The 2018 is not a huge Haut-Brion, nor is it massively endowed, but it is so elegant and classy. I loved it."
More- To keep or to drink:
- Wait 5 to 10 years
- Apogée:
- 2030-2050