Le Clarence de Haut-Brion

Although 2024 was notable for being quite a cool year, it was nevertheless preceded by a mild and wet winter, causing budbreak to start early, as of mid-March. This head start was curbed however by constant rainfall, which slowed down the growth of vegetation. In the vineyard, the teams were completely ready to swing into action as soon as spring began, to keep a close watch on the health status of the vineyard with great precision, because the mildness of winter encouraged early pressure of fungal diseases. Flowering came late, but occurred in good conditions for the whites, but more diversely for the reds, with some shatter (flower abortion), due to the changeable weather. The month of July marked a turning point, by giving conditions that encouraged the vine to thrive. The next part of the season required painstaking green work, essential to balance the quantity of vegetal growth and protect the grapes. Meticulous leaf-thinning was done to ensure better circulation of air around the grape bunches and to restrict any dampness, thereby making it possible to protect their wholeness and the quality of the grapes. The vine’s resilience, supported and assisted by the teams’ unfailing determination, enabled us to bring to good completion a challenging season, which gives us marvellous, expressive fruit and juices full of promise.  

After a season of slow vegetal growth, the early terroir of Haut-Brion played its role of making things easier, by enabling the alcoholic degree we sought to be attained rapidly and therefore to begin the harvest with crop’s good health protected. Harvests of white grapes were gathered in good conditions, having benefited from cool nights, combined with relatively warm temperatures in daytime, which encouraged the development of the grapes’ aromas. The first juices from the white grapes gave superb balance, more moderate degrees of alcohol than in previous years and aroma profiles of superb delicacy, with expressive Sauvignons. Before the harvest of red grapes started, we had six days with a North-Eastern wind that helped to dry out the vines, therefore improving the concentration of the berries, while maintaining the vineyard’s good health. The harvest gave us grapes full of flavour and extremely careful sorting was carried out on arrival at the vat house, to ensure that we kept only good, healthy berries at a perfect stage of ripeness. Although this balancing act vintage encouraged contrasts to exist right up until the harvests, in the end it provided us with a final bouquet of expressive fruit, promising wines full of potential in the future.