La Clarte de Haut-Brion 2021

A full-bodied dry white wine from Graves with a beautiful complexity

The estate

La Clarté de Haut-Brion benefits from a unique and legendary double ancestry. This exceptional cuvée comes from the shared terroir of two iconic names in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion, which have been part of the legend of great Bordeaux wines since the 16th century and are among the world's finest wines.

The vintage

The mild winter favoured the early budding of the vines on March 1st. Although the spring frost in April spared the vast majority of the plots, the cool weather and heavy rainfall in May and June slowed down the development of the vine. However, the flowering was homogeneous and showcased a good quality. The teams’ rigour and hard work enabled them to preserve the vineyard’s healthy condition. The gravelly soils, with their capacity for reverberation, allowed the vines to benefit from indirect sunshine. The warm, dry climate and the cool nights from the beginning of August were ideal conditions for refining the ripeness and aromatic palette of the grapes until the harvest. With a more moderate amount of sugar than in previous vintages and a pleasant balance, the grapes produced a vintage reminiscent of the classic Bordeaux wines from the 1990s.

Vinification and ageing

A dry white wine, this Pessac-Léognan wine is aged in barrels (46% new).

The blend

Semillon (56%)

Sauvignon Blanc (44%).

La Clarté de Haut-Brion 2021: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Colour

Pale yellow colour with green highlights.

Nose

Intense, the nose seduces with its floral (white flowers) and lemony notes.

Palate

An ample and generous attack precedes a mouth whose full structure and refreshing lemon notes stretch to a persistent finish.