Dark fruit, dark olives and minerals, with a good tannin structure on the palate. Medium- to full-bodied with juicy fruit in a nicely austere style. Composed, firm and long, without any fruit sweetness. Classic and intellectual in style. Merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

Darker cherries, graphite, scorched earth, and smoky nuances all emerge from Haut-Brion's second wine, the 2024 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion. A blend of 45.7% Merlot, 32.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc, it's medium-bodied, has a nicely balanced, concentrated mid-palate, and building tannins. Compared to the La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, it's a denser, more structured wine.

Fresh and perfumed with elegant notes of dark berries, spices, licorice and lead pencil, the 2024 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion possesses a medium-bodied, firm and slightly introverted palate with firm tannins and a long, mulberries-inflected finish. The blend—45.7% Merlot, 32.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Cabernet Franc—features one of the highest proportions of Cabernet Franc since 2006.

Clearer levels of intensity and concentration than Chapelle from the same stable, evn a touch of fennel and liquorice, a welcome gourmet character in this lean-styled vintage, plenty of spice and savoury black fruits, with salinity on the finish. Quite a different expression than recent vintages with lower alcohol and slim frame, but this delivers estate signature. 6.3% press, 31% new oak., harvest September 17 to October 4, 26hl/h yield.

The 2024 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has a tad more cohesion and nuance compared to the La Chapelle de la Mission at the moment, with bright blackberry and bilberry scents laced with oyster shells. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple tannins, satisfying fluidity and a minerally finish. This will do nicely.

45.7% Merlot, 32.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Darker hue than Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion and a bit more weight, then finish longer. Otherwise, round and supple with fine tannins. Acidity less aggressive. (JL)