2025 Clarence de Haut-Brion (Pessac-Leognan)

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. 93 points

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. 91-93 points

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. 92-94 points

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 mineralite 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 Deuxieme Vin. 91-93 points