2017 La Clarte de Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bottle (750ml) [2nd white wine of Haut-Brion]

RP93 "Composed of 30.6% Sauvignon Blanc and 69.4% Sémillon, the 2017 La Clarté de Haut-Brion comes roaring out of the glass with bold notes of fresh apricots, pineapple and lime cordial plus hints of chalk dust, straw and coriander seed with a touch of honeysuckle. Medium-bodied, the palate has electric intensity with bags of stone and tropical fruit layers and a wicked backbone of freshness, finishing long and zesty." LPB for TWA Mar 2023

Lisa Perrotti-Brown for RobertPaker.com writes, "At Château Haut-Brion and neighboring La Mission Haut-Brion, only about one hectare out of around 80 hectares of vineyards was damaged by frost in 2017. It seemed that in the areas where there was a little wind, there was no frost. Budbreak was on March 13—not so early for this warm little pocket of vineyards close to the city—but the evolution of the vines was certainly faster than usual for the rest of the spring. It was a very dry, warm spring with even flowering. At the end of June, there was some rain to quench the parched vines, then July was a little cooler, according to Jean-Philippe Delmas.
While the reds are incredibly impressive at both properties in 2017, I have to confess that I was completely blown away by the caliber of the whites. WOW! Possessing at once electric intensity and yet bags of tightly wound layers just waiting to be expressed over many years of cellaring, this is a truly spectacular vintage for the dry whites at both estates." Published: Mar 16, 2020