Violets and dark berries with hints of wet earth and black truffles on the nose. Medium-bodied, this has focused tannins that tighten at the end. Blackcurrants and mushrooms with dried earth. Muscular for the second wine of Haut-Brion. Needs four or five years to soften and open. Best after 2029.

Compared to the La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, the 2022 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion brings a darker core of cherry and currant fruits as well as smoky, leather, and scorched earth-like aromatics. It's slightly more concentrated and has a more focused, structured style on the palate, yet it's incredibly well balanced, pure, precise, and elegant. It's a mini Haut-Brion that has tons of Grand Vin character.

(93-95 points) Cigar box, spice, burning herbs, black plums, and cherries create the nose. The wine is refined, silky and fresh, The fruits are ripe, sweet, lifted and have no problem expressing their essence on the mid-palate, and in the elegant finish, which delivers a plethora of spices and a touch of refreshing mints in the endnote. Enjoy this while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The wine blends 62% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Cabernet Franc and 1.5% Petit Verdot. 14.4% ABV, 3.9 pH. Drink 2025-2045. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2022&wine=Le%20Clarence%20de%20Haut-Brion

The fruit is a darker than in La Mission, a ton of depth to the flavour, and this has really grown into itself over ageing. Creamy cassis and blackberry, graphite or rather a smudged crayon because there is a softness to this, plump and enticing but with structure and clear ageability. Serious at first, then lightens up. great quality.

More introverted and shy than during the en primeur tastings, the 2022 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion offers up aromas of dark berries and spices mingled with pencil lead notes. Medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it's framed by structured, youthful tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Give it time to digest its élevage. - Yohan Castaing

The 2022 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is a fabulous second wine. Broad and explosive on the palate, with tremendous depth, the 2022 is a total stunner. Dark-toned fruit, leather, spice, menthol and espresso are all dialed up to the maximum. Rich, ample and inviting, the Clarence is positively stellar. What a vivid and deeply satisfying wine it is. All this lacks is a bit of structure on the finish, but then again, this is 2022. -- Antonio Galloni

Sweet and sun-kissed dark fruit on the nose, smells quite heady and expressive - blackcurrants, cherries and plums. Juicy, a touch chewy and creamy - there's a nice weight to the tannins which have a fleshy texture, and although there's acidity, this is more deep and brooding with dark black fruit, spiced liquorice, graphite and tobacco notes. There's clarity and good persistence with a mint and clove aspect to the finish. Tannins have softened and expanded since Primeurs and this gives a nice filling mouthful. 20% new oak.

This is led by Merlot, at just over 62% of the blend, and it was aged in 20% new oak. Tasted against La Chapelle this has more immediate impact on the nose, with darker and more defined fruits, and more perfumed chalk, white peach and mint. This is carried through onto the palate which shows supple but rather velvety texture, nicely delineated, with a core of finely grained tannins lending it some grip and continuing with the sense of frame right through to the finish. This is finely poised and has a wrapping of firm structure in the end which I adore, all grain and energy, and it should be good in bottle for a decade, probably longer. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%. - Chris Kissack