Chateau Clarence de Haut-Brion 2018
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1 or more bottles$367.50
Editors notes
The second wine of Haut-Brion, made from 58.2% Merlot, 28.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2018 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion sports a deeper purple color as well as rocking notes of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, and earth. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's already approachable but will keep for two decades.
- Jeb Dunnuck
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Bottle Size
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Blueberry
- Boysenberry
- Herbal
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Palate
- Blue Fruits
- Cassis
- Graphite
Food Pairings
- Pork
- Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
92"The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is a blend of 58.2% Merlot, 28.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.7% Cabernet Franc and 3.6% Petit-Verdot, harvested September 6 to October 2. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with a very serious nose of earthy layers—tilled soil, truffles, underbrush and crushed rocks—giving way to notions of Black Forest cake, kirsch and redcurrant jelly with wafts of cassis and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, the palate is sparked with fantastic energy, featuring layers of red and black fruits with a smooth, rounded texture and lively minty kick to the finish."
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Decanter
92"The structure is more evident in Haut-Brion's Clarence than in La Mission's Chapelle - the former is not as luscious but has greater depth and the encircling walls that make this feel like the fruit is cosseted and will age well. It has a clear link to the grand vin."
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Jeb Dunnuck
93"The second wine of Haut-Brion, made from 58.2% Merlot, 28.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2018 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion sports a deeper purple color as well as rocking notes of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, and earth. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's already approachable but will keep for two decades."
Other vintages
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Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux has a rich history of winemaking, dating back to the Roman times. Today, it is known as one of the most significant wine regions in the world, with a reputation for producing complex, full-bodied red wines. The region is home to a diverse range of terroirs, each with its own unique microclimate, soil composition, and grape varieties.
The left bank of Bordeaux is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives in the region's gravelly soils. These wines tend to be bold, tannic, and complex, with notes of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco. On the right bank, Merlot is king, producing wines that are softer and fruitier, with notes of plum, cherry, and chocolate.
Aside from the red blends, Bordeaux is also renowned for its sweet wines, particularly from the Sauternes and Barsac appellations. These wines are made using a unique process that involves botrytis, or "noble rot," which concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in a lusciously sweet and complex wine.
Bordeaux's classification system has evolved over time, with some estates moving up or down the ranks depending on the quality of their wines. Today, the system includes five growths, with Premier Cru being the highest and Deuxièmes Crus being the second-highest. There is also a separate classification for the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, with Chateau d’Yquem holding the highest rank.
Overall, Bordeaux is a region that continues to captivate wine enthusiasts around the world with its rich history, diverse terroirs, and exceptional wines.
Pessac-Leognan
Pessac-Léognan is a small Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and subregion within the Graves AOC in Bordeaux, France. It includes one Premier Cru from the 1855 classification, as well as all of the Cru Classé properties within the Graves classification. (This classification, established in 1959, is a list based on pricing, renown, and quality – judged by tasting. Overall, 16 classified châteaux fall under the Graves classification for their red wines, their white wines, or both, and all sit within Pessac-Léognan.) The terroir in this AOC benefits from the area’s gravel soils as well as the moderating effect of the Garonne River. Pessac-Léognan has a reputation for both high-quality red and white wines, producing significantly more reds than whites. The exceptional white wines are usually blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. They are typically barrel-fermented and -aged, with many age-worthy for 10 years or more. On the nose, you’ll find pronounced aromas of gooseberry, lemon, and grapefruit alongside vanilla and clove notes from the oak influence. On the palate, these whites are dry and full-bodied. Pessac-Léognan reds have aromas of red berry, violet, earth, and spice, alongside mineral, nutty, and smoky notes.
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About the brand Chateau Haut Brion
Chateau Haut-Brion is the only First Growth Chateau of the 1855 Bordeaux Classification located outside the Medoc AOC. It finds its home in the Pessac-Leognan AOC north of the Graves region. First documentation of the estate dates back to 1525 when the property came to Jean de Pontac through his new wife's dowry. After a series of different owners, the estate was purchased by Clarence Dillon, an American banker in 1935. Remarkably, it still remains in the Dillon family today. A curious departure from its counterparts in the Medoc AOC, Chateau Haut Brion is Merlot focused. Of the 48 hectares under vine, almost 42% are planted to Merlot, 45% to Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder to Cabernet Franc. The dissimilarities continue in the fact that Haut Brion also produces one of the world's most esteemed white wines, Haut Brion Blanc, a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.Each variety is planted to its best-suited soil type resulting in Cabernet Sauvignon on gravel and Merlot on clay, while the white varieties thrive on the sandier soils of the estate.