Le Clarte de Haut Brion, Pessac Léognan, 2023
Yields were good for the whites at the Haut Brion and Mission stables, averaging 50-55 hl / ha, however selection was strict for the top wines and production was restricted to the habitual 400 cases of each. Clarte was the beneficiary, a bigger production than normally and a particularly fine example is the result. Crystal clear, clean lemon zest and grapefruit flavours mixed with crushed salt touches adding tang. Focused, zesty and even keeled. A lively and particularly precise Clarté. A blend of 56.3% Sauvignon Blanc 43.7% Semillon.
critic reviews
The 2023 La Clarté de Haut-Brion has a straightforward bouquet with grapefruit, lime and Golden Delicious scents. The palate is well-balanced, with orange rind on the entry. Not terribly complex, though it is fresh with a peppery finish.
A blend of 56.3% Sauvignon Blanc and 43.7% Semillon, La Clarte de Haut Brion 2023 has a pH of 3.2. It zips out of the glass with electric scents of fresh limes, yuzu, and green mango, leading to hints of chalk dust and white pepper. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a crisp line to cut through the intense citrus layers, finishing long and chalky.
Effortless, well balanced, white peach, juicy pear, delicious, sculpted and extremely easy to love. 3.2ph, 40% new oak. A test with shade cloths to provide cover for the berries on a small part of the white vineyard is underway, as the team under Jean-Philippe Delmas reacts to the changing conditions.
Aromas of smoke, white fruits and ripe orchard fruits preface the 2023 La Clarte de Haut-Brion blanc, a medium-bodied, round and supple wine that is fruity and elegant on the finish. This is a blend of 56.3% Sauvignon Blanc and 43.7% Semillon.