Le Clarence de Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Rouge 2020

This is the second wine produced by Château Haut-Brion, one of the five classified First Growths in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. With a slew of sky-high scores, Le Clarence is a wine made with the same focused attention, care, and dedication to quality as its Grand Vin sibling... and now it’s over 30% off with free shipping on just two bottles!

In tribute to Clarence Dillon, this wine was renamed to Le Clarence starting with the 2007 vintage after carrying the name Château Bahans Haut-Brion in the early 20th century. Clarence, an American banker whose family still oversees the winemaking today, bought the property in 1935 after visiting in 1934. After his visit, he received a telegram saying he could purchase Château Haut-Brion so long as he acted quickly, and that’s exactly what he did. The Dillon family has a strong love and respect for France, and no other vineyard in France has been linked to an American family for as long as Haut-Brion.

The vineyards here span 51 hectares, with 48 planted to red grape varieties, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. With a diversity of soils, the land contains various types of small quartz stones, along with gravelly soils over top subsoils of clay, sand, limestone, and shelly sand, giving the wines a unique and mineral-driven character not easily replicated by other estates.

Widely respected Bordeaux wine critic Jane Anson says this of the 2020 vintage: “A serious wine but one with a smile on its face,” while Wine Advocate continues the sentiment, saying, “A beautiful behemoth that is going to wow the hedonists!” We are nodding our heads in enthusiastic agreement, y’all! With a blend of 60.1% Merlot, 31.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.7% Cabernet Franc, and 1.5% Petit Verdot, this is an inky, bold, rich, and lavish Bordeaux with a generous mouthfeel and gorgeous freshness to it. A core of juicy, ripe red cherries, blackberry jam, and red currants is surrounded by powerful notes of wet stone, black olives, wild brush, sweet tobacco, cloves, and black peppercorn for a silky yet spicy essence that wraps up with a velvety, long finish. This is just massive, and delightful, and an exuberant expression of Pessac-Léognan that will surely age wonderfully for at least a couple of decades (though, no need if you’d rather have it now!). A surefire pleasure of a wine for a wicked fabulous price! Get free shipping when you order at least two bottles!

PAIRING IDEAS: Beef is the only way – I’m opting for a braised steak ragu with pappardelle. Simple, hearty, flavorful, and delicious to amplify all those juicy and spiced notes in the wine.