2013

La Clarence de Haut-Brion

Similar in style and elegance to its elder, the Château Haut-Brion red, this second wine brings together all the unique attributes of a fine wine, while reaching maturity more quickly. This wine has carried the name Château Bahans Haut-Brion since the first years of the twentieth century and was renamed Le Clarence de Haut-Brion beginning with the 2007 vintage, as a tribute to Clarence Dillon, who acquired the property in 1935.

Tasting notes

The nose includes enticing hints of juicy ripe fruit such
as cherry and the oak is perfectly integrated.
The wine is intensely fruity on the palate with fine depth,
a beautiful structure, and rich tannin.
The very attractive aftertaste is full, round, and long. 

The weather

2013 was a veritable obstacle course for winegrowers. For a start, a rainy spring upset flowering, causing coulure and millerandage. Fungal diseases were nevertheless largely contained. Summer was warm and dry, although a heavy rainstorm in July with strong winds reduced the potential crop. The harvest took place later than usual, with alternating periods of sun and rain. Very rigorous sorting (both manual and with an optical sorting machine) meant that only fruit in good condition was retained. The weather conditions throughout the growing season led to a small crop, but modern winemaking techniques and close, expert attention guaranteed the quality of the wines.

A few figures

  • Harvest dates

    From September 24th to October 11th  

  • Blend

    Merlot: 57%
    Cabernet Sauvignon: 27% 
    Cabernet Franc: 16 %

  • New barrels

    25%

  • Alcohol

    13 % 

  • Bottling date

    From the 4th to the 5th of May 2015