Le Clarence de Haut-Brion

A dry, chilly winter was followed by budbreak coming slightly early. Bright and sunny, springtime drew the vine into its momentum, setting a strenuous pace for the team and making it necessary to keep a very watchful eye on the vineyard. Flowering and berry set occurred in excellent conditions, promising a remarkable potential of quality, although limited in quantity due to weak floral induction, a consequence of the previous year’s weather conditions. An extremely dry spell set in from the month of June and was marked by early periods of heatwave. In the midst of these heatwaves, veraison unfolded swiftly and consistently. Faced with the challenge of a total absence of water, the teams adjusted the way they managed the vineyard: very little green work, no leaf thinning, so as to keep a protective canopy of foliage over the grapes.

Harvests of white grapes began on 14 August, making 2025 the second earliest harvest in the history of the estate. Quantities were lower, but revealed concentrated, ripe grapes, combining richness of sugar and acidity protected. Slowed down by the scarcity of water, ripening of the red grapes was revived by some beneficial rain falling in September, which came to perfect the balance in the Merlots and Cabernets. Meticulous sorting within the vineyard made it possible to remove certain bunches that were too damaged by the sun. The grapes harvested were tremendously concentrated and showed strong aromatic potential, both powerful and complex, allowing us to perceive a vintage of very high ambition.