94-
95
JAMES SUCKLING: "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."
91-
93
THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."
17,5
WEINWISSER: "70 % Merlot, 18 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 % Cabernet Franc. Verhaltener Beginn, Baumnuss, helles Edelholz, Rosmarin und Schattenmorelle. Am eleganten Gaumen mit weicher Textur, engmaschigem Tanningerüst, nerviger Rasse, burschikosem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale verschlankt sich der Pessac und endet mit Weichsel, erkalteter Hagebuttentee und fein sandige Adstringenz."
92
DECANTER: "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, a touch of tobacco and smoke that lands on the tongue. Beautifully presented, smooth and defined, such succulence and density with no let-up. Intensity, clarity and focus. An excellent second wine in 2021."
92
FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feines Nougatkaramell, schwarze Kirschen, ein Hauch von Orangenzesten, Kräuterwürze. Mittlerer Körper, dezente Fruchtsüße, reife Herzkirschen, fein strukturiert, gut antrinkbar, vielseitig einsetzbar."
91-
93
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Black plums, smoke, espresso, cherries, flowers and cocoa fill the nose. Medium-bodied, soft, round, fresh, sweet, and polished with chalky tannins, olives, peppery spices, and leafy nuances in the finish. Enjoy this while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The wine blends 70% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc. 13.6% ABV. Drink 2024-2036."
90-
92
JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2021 Le Clarence Haut-Brion is a slightly darker, richer wine with lots of black cherries, scorched earth, and graphite notes as well as medium to full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Balanced, elegant, and seamless, it's certainly a beautiful wine and as well as a terrific introduction to this château."