Wine Advisor
La Clarte de Haut Brion Blanc 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 La Clarté de Haut-Brion is every bit as compelling as it was last year. Today, as back then, what stands out most is the interplay of rich fruit and energy. Orchard fruit, lemon confit, white flowers, mint and white pepper all grace this super-expressive, racy white. La Clarté is obviously not as complex as its two siblings, the Blancs from Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, but it is absolutely exquisite.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 La Clarté de Haut-Brion is exquisite. It is a wine of unreal harmony that balances the richness of the year with the energy that comes from picking the Sémillon earlier than in the past. Orchard fruit, mint, white flowers, green apple and lemon peel give La Clarté its briskness and breezy tension. The Sauvignon Blanc is quite expressive today. The 2019 was bottled on April 28, 2020. It clearly needs time to come together.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2019 La Clarté de Haut-Brion has a bold and powerful nose, quite reduced at first and with a hefty dose of sulphur. The palate is likewise powerful and oaky, reductive with a nutty and smoky finish. This pales against the bottle poured at the château just after bottling. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2019 La Clarté de Haut-Brion is a little more opaque on the nose compared to the La Chapelle de la Mission, although it delivers some lovely brambly red fruit mixed with black truffle and Japanese nori scents. The fresh, lightly spiced palate is medium-bodied with a sappy opening and good grip. There are touches of Seville orange marmalade and allspice on the powerful finish. Give this 3–4 years in bottle.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2019 La Clarté de Haut-Brion is clear with green tints. This has a very tempting bouquet with subtle tropical fruit, passion fruit and even a touch of lychee, all very well defined, hints of orange blossom developing with time in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a slither of sour lemon on the entry and alerting the senses. Moderate depth, quite spicy relative to previous vintages with veins of stem ginger towards the finish. This is a very stylish La Clarté that should offer a decade of drinking pleasure.
About the Producer
Grapes sourced from both Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion. Previously called 'Les Plantiers du Haut-Brion'. Expert tasting note: (2021 vintage) "Pale yellow in color with green hints. The medium intensity of fruit aromas are leafy, with gooseberry & slight catty notes - these are backed by creamy/leasy notes. The palate shows ripe mango & passion-fruit aromas with mineral notes behind them. The wine is full-bodied & rich, with alcohol adding a little warmth & roundness to the palate. The finish has pretty good length."
