Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
The estate needed someone of passion and means to allow it to weather the storm. Clarence Dillon immediately entered into negotiations to acquire the estate and requested that his Paris office continue these on his departure by ship to the United States. On board the ship during the crossing he received a telegram which read "You may acquire Chateau Haut-Brion if we act fast." His two word answer was "Act Fast!" This short and decisive response was the beginning of a long family commitment to this estate and to the wines of Bordeaux.
Clarendelle's name thus pays homage to the ancestor who brought the family to this region. In creating Clarendelle the team from Clarence Dillon Wines and their colleagues at Domaine Clarence Dillon, wish to discover and extract the best from the enormous potential and savoir-faire that this region and terroir provide. They already benefit from centuries of acquired knowledge and will aim to produce wines worthy and representative of their heritage and provenance.
One of the most—if not the most—famous red wine regions of the world, the Medoc reaches from the city of Bordeaux northwest along the left bank of the Gironde River almost all the way to the Atlantic. Its vineyards climb along a band of flatlands, sandwiched between the coastal river marshes and the pine forests in the west. The entire region can only claim to be three to eight miles wide (at its widest), but it is about 50 miles long.
While the Medoc encompasses the Haut Medoc, and thus most of the classed-growth villages (Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe) it is really only those wines produced in the Bas-Medoc that use the Medoc appellation name. The ones farther down the river, and on marginally higher ground, are eligible to claim the Haut Medoc appellation, or their village or cru status.
While the region can’t boast a particularly dramatic landscape, impressive chateaux disperse themselves among the magically well-drained gravel soils that define the area. This optimal soil draining capacity is completely necessary and ideal in the Medoc's damp, maritime climate. These gravels also serve well to store heat in cooler years.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.