2022 Domaine Clarence Dillon Clarendelle Saint-Emilion 750 ml

The Clarence Dillon name stands for two things in Bordeaux: quality and luxury.

The family owns First Growth Château Haut-Brion ($800+) and its neighbor Château La Mission Haut-Brion ($400+), two of the most coveted wines in the world.

That glamor makes the Dillons’ wine at home in the most rarified air: You’ll find their bottles on practically every Michelin three-starred wine list and they’re the official wine partner of the Academy Awards. 

But while studio big-wigs like Griffin Mill and Matt Remick sip on Haut-Brion, the wine that will be poured widely at the Oscars is the Domaine Clarence Dillon Clarendelle Saint-Émilion—it’s what your favorite sound mixer, animator, or production designer will be drinking when they’re celebrating their big night.

That’s both because Clarendelle is easier on the budget, and also because it’s vinified and blended to drink well young—pop it open and it struts its stuff with only a few minutes of air. It helps that this wine hails from Saint-Émilion, where rich, textured bottles are the norm. Add in the precision of the Dillons’ winemaking team and the incredible 2022 vintage and you have a winner that deserves a fancy steak night, but is priced to match a Tuesday pot-roast, as well.

2022 is going to go down as an absolutely legendary year in Bordeaux. Vinous declared “the 2022 vintage serves as a timely reminder that when Bordeaux fires on all cylinders, it is untouchable.” It was a warm, sunny year that winemakers across the region managed to harness perfectly, with lush textures, plenty of fruit, and surprising vibrancy given the solar nature of the year.