CLARENCE DE HAUT BRION ROUGE [PSC LGN] 2020 750ML

Aromas of blackcurrants and blueberries. Lots of stones, too. Full-bodied and chewy with plenty of crushed cement. Chewy finish. Medium at the end. Drink after 2027.

This year, the second wine of Haut-Brion brings out much of the initial austerity of its senior sibling. It has tannins and fruits that are centered around the wine's structure. Expect this wine to age well.

The second wine of Château Haut-Brion, the 2020 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion is certainly a gem and well worth seeking out. Offering loads of red cherry and currant-like fruit, this medium to full-bodied, concentrated beauty has lots of graphite, fresh stone, and tobacco aromatics, beautiful mid-palate depth, outstanding length, and ripe, polished tannins. It has everything you look for from this region, all in a character-filled, up-front, undeniably delicious style that should evolve gracefully for over two decades.

Concentrated, with impact and punch. It has presence and barely takes a beat through the mid palate, as there is such a wall of blackberry and bilberry fruits. A brambly hedgerow feel, hard to argue with - but be aware that there is heat also; and this is a hedonistic wine.

The 2020 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion exhibits attractive aromas of dark berries, rose petals, cigar wrapper and burning embers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered palate that's rich, seamless and enveloping, with an open, expressive profile and a long, subtly kirsch-inflected finish. Best After 2025

The 2020 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is quite flamboyant on the nose with black plum, boysenberry and sous-bois scents, just a touch of pitted black olive. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy, with more weight and amplitude compared to the La Chapelle and with a lovely savory/Provençal herb tincture towards the finish. This is a lovely Deuxième Vin.