2021 La Clarte de Haut Brion Blanc
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Very pale. Not much nose. Very introvert but there’s lots underneath, including some bitterness on the end. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Crushed citrus, golden apple, mint, and hints of spice all emerge from the 2021 La Clarte De Haut-Brion Blanc, a vibrant, fresh, focused, beautifully balanced white from this team that has high yet integrated acidity as well as a great finish. It's one heck of a second wine, and it's going to evolve for a decade at a minimum.
The 2021 La Clarté de Haut-Brion has an attractive nose: pineapple less evident than it was from barrel, perhaps now just a tad more resinous in style. The palate is well-balanced with a keen line of acidity, not a complex white Bordeaux per se, but it reveals admirable tension on the finish.
The 2021 La Clarté de Haut-Brion is a bright, tense dry white that encapsulates the style of the year quite nicely. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint, crushed rocks, slate and light tropical notes all race across the palate in this taut, nervy edition of La Clarté. As a reminder, La Clarté is a blend of fruit from Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion.
About the producer
Ch. Haut-Brion is the only classified growth in Pessac-Léognan. One of the five First Growths, it is renowned for producing both exceptional reds and whites. Along with its sister estate, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, it is part of the Clarence Dillon stable.