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LA CLARTÉ DE HAUT BRION

2013 Graves

EN PRIMEUR
WhiteFrance,Bordeaux

Definite acidulous edge which feels of cold metal, but the mid-palate has some good spice. May always be pretty 'lively'. Rating: 89 L&S (Apr 2014)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

(61% semillon and 39% sauvignon): Very bright yellow. Candied lemon peel and pear nectar on the slightly subdued nose. Ripe flavors of grapefruit, beeswax and pear are fresh, pure and accessible, with a terrific spine of acidity providing lift. I'd guzzle this without restraint. It's also a very good example of how high-quality semillon can add an extra dimension to a wine. Rating: 88-90 Ian d'Agata - Stephen Tanzer website (May 2014)

Sauvignon Blanc 39% Sémillon 61% The nose has floral fresh fruited charm the start of the palate is gooseberry crisp. It feels sweeter in the middle more of a pineapple character with the citrus at the back refreshing the finish. 2015-19 Rating: 90-92 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (May 2014)

If you can’t afford Haut-Brion Blanc (and at £6,000+ a case, that’s a stretch for most of us) this is a more than acceptable substitute. Leesy, waxy and textured, it shows good oak integration, a mineral core and notes of fresh bread and wet stones. 2014-20 Rating: 92 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2014)

Very expressive today, with tangerine, green almond and pear eau-de-vie notes. The long, straw-filled finish has lovely cut and persistence. A delicious wine in the making. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Rating: 91–94 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2014)

The 2013 Le Clarté de Haut-Brion is laved with white orchard fruit, flowers and mint, along with lightly honeyed overtones that give the wine its fleshy, creamy texture. The style is built on soft fruit and a sense of immediacy that is best enjoyed upon release. La Clarté is the second wine of Haut-Brion's flagship Blanc. The blend is 61% Semillon and 39% Sauvignon Blanc. Rating: 88-90 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)

A blend of 61% Semillon and 39% Sauvignon Blanc, the La Clarte de Haut Brion has a pleasant, slightly grassy bouquet with grapefruit and lime cordial. The palate is crisp and sharp on the entry with a nice twist of sour lemon and a brisk, fresh lime cordial finish. Fine. Rating: 86-88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)

This is really lively and dense with layers of dried fruits and crazy energetic acidity. Lemon, dried apples and lots of minerals. Excellent second wine of Haut-Brion and La Mission. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2014)

61% Sémillon, 39% Sauvignon Blanc. Stunning nose – wax, lemon, vanilla and fresh herbs. Charming texture, and a lightness of body that fits into the balance well. Modest length, but good concentration and potential for development. (RH) Drink 2015-2020 Rating: 17+ Richard Hemming MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2014)

1855 classification - Premier Grand Cru Classé Château Haut Brion is famously the only estate in Graves to have featured in the 1855 classification reflecting a long established reputation, even if, at the time, the crown was beginning to slip. During the 16th Century, Haut-Brion was briefly owned by Jean de Ségur of the Ségur family who at various times owned both Lafite and Latour. Jean de Pontac inherited Haut Brion as a wedding dowry in 1525 and, apart from a brief period during the French Revolution, his descendents owned the estate until 1801. The Pontacs were an interesting lot, including in their number a very pious Bishop, a politician, and François-Auguste Pontac who started a London inn called l'Enseigne de Pontac where Samuel Pepys enjoyed "a sort of French wine called Ho Bryan", finding it "hath a good and most particular taste". Jonathon Swift, however, thought the wine "dear at seven shillings a flagon" - 35p a bottle, if only! Haut Brion was the first Bordeaux wine known to have been imported into the USA when Thomas Jefferson had six cases shipped home to Virginia. Eventually, in the earlier years of the 19th Century, Haut Brion found its way into the hands of the Larrieu family. Preceding reputation was enough to get Haut Brion classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1855, and a string of copy cat estates appended "Haut Brion" to their names (a source of some litigation in the 1920's) but in reality the 19th and early 20th Centuries were not great times for the wines of Haut Brion. When the bank seized the assets of Milleret Larrieu after WWI, the estate fell into the hands of the Société des Glacières under who's unenlightened guidance much of the gardens were sold off the make way for expanding city of Bordeaux. They then offered Château Haut Brion to the City of Bordeaux, who turned it down, allowing American financier Clarence Dillon to realise his dream of owning a Bordeaux château, buying the estate in 1935. His descendents own Haut Brion to this day. The gravel soils of Haut Brion are planted with 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc for reds, and a more or less 50/50 split of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for the whites. There are around 45ha under vine. Haut Brion were one of the first estates to ferment in stainless steel. After fermentation, red wines spend up to two years in oak, previoulsy 100% new for the grand vin but, now, more like 35%. The second wine of the estate was known for many years as Bahans Haut Brion, but was renamed recently as Le Clarence de Haut Brion in honour of Clarence Dillon.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.

Ordering

Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.

Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.

Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.

When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.

Additional charges are as follows:-

  • +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.