Haut-Brion｜Pessac-Leognan

Chateau Haut-Brion

1855 First Growths Grand Cru Classes

Haut-Brion

1855 First Growths Grand Cru Classes

When he purchased Château Haut-Brion in 1935, Clarence Dillon restored it to its former glory and to the elite circle of the most legendary wines in the world. This extraordinary, bold, courageous vision is now continued by the fourth generation of the family, represented by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Chairman and CEO since 2008. Located in the town of Pessac, just a few kilometres from Bordeaux, Château Haut-Brion – the first of the three estates acquired by the Dillon family – is the oldest winegrowing property in the region.

In two recently discovered manuscripts in the Departmental Archives of the Gironde and dating from 1521 and 1526, the term "cru" in the location "Aubrion" or "Haulbrion", refers to the wine elaborated on this terroir. These two texts announce an evolution of over three centuries that will bring Haut-Brion to the rank of "Premier Cru Classé" in the Classification of Wines of the Gironde in 1855. Thus, from the beginning of the 16th century, the first luxury brand in the world is born.

波爾多 1855 梅多克列級莊分級制度

On his death, the château went to his fourth son, Arnaud II de Pontac. When he died in 1605, his nephew Geoffroy inherited Haut-Brion. The two generations after Jean de Pontac did everything they could to make their name known, producing and selling the wine from their estate, but it was the following generation, that of Arnaud III de Pontac, who really consolidated the château’s reputation.
According to all reports, Arnaud III, Geoffroy’s son, was a true Renaissance man. An erudite humanist, he was reported to have had one of the largest private libraries in France. He quickly became one of the most influential politicians in Bordeaux, when he was appointed First President of the Guyenne Parliament.

On 25 May 1787, Joseph de Fumel received Thomas Jefferson at Château Haut-Brion for the first time. Jefferson gave his first impressions of the vineyard that day: “The soil of Haut-Brion, which I examined in great detail, is made up of sand, in which there is near as much round gravel or small stone and a very little loam.” The next day, he wrote to his brother-in-law Francis Eppes: “I cannot deny myself the pleasure of asking you to invest in a parcel of wine I have been chosing for myself. I do it the rather as it will furnish you a specimen of what is the very best Bordeaux wine. It is of the vineyard of Obrion, one of the four established as the very bestand it is of the vintage of 1784. Six dozen bottles of it will be packed separately addressed to you.”

In 1934, Clarence Dillon, a New York banker, visited Château Haut-Brion during a trip to France. While he was on the steamer taking him back to the United States, he received a telegram informing him that he could buy Haut-Brion, but only if he acted quickly. His response was clear: “Act quickly!” The purchase was finalised on 13 May 1935 and a fourth dynasty took over the reins. The modern era of Haut-Brion could now begin. The history of the Dillon family follows that of 20th century France. From 1935 to the present day, no other vineyard has been associated for such a long time with an American family, who adored France and its way of life.

In 1961, they modernised the vat room, bringing in new stainless steel vats. From 1975 to 2008, his granddaughter Joan Dillon accomplished an impressive project that would enable Château Haut-Brion to enter the 21st century. Passionate about interior decor and a woman of great taste, she completely renovated the château interior, building and installing the elegant entrance gates and creating the park that surrounds the château. In 1979, she was joined by her husband the Duke of Mouchy, who worked alongside her to manage the family company. In 1991, she inaugurated the high-tech vat room at Château Haut-Brion, next to the brand new Cour des Artisans.

Under the leadership of her son, Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the renovation of Château Haut-Brion’s magnificent buildings was completed. Certified to High Quality Environmental standard (materials that comply with sustainable development as much as possible, energy efficiency, water efficiency and harmonious relationship with the immediate environment), these include new reception rooms, new offices and a kitchen suitable for top chefs, so that the art of hospitality, so dear to Domaine Clarence Dillon, can be practised. Designed by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the Château Haut-Brion library is a circular room with shelves that go from the floor to the ceiling with hidden doorways.
It is very highly regarded throughout Europe – much like the library of Arnaud III de Pontac several centuries before – for its first editions and rare books on gastronomy and wine.

Château Haut-Brion’s vineyard is located in the commune of Pessac, just a few miles southwest of Bordeaux’s city center. It belongs to the Pessac-Léognan appellation, to the north of the Graves wine-growing region. Château Haut-Brion is the only wine to be both First Growth from the 1855 classification and Classified Growth of the Graves.

It was upon a terrace overlooked by two small hills and flanked by two streams, that approximately 2000 years ago, Romans came and discovered the virtues of these tiny quartz pebbles called “graves” (gravel). During Gallo-Roman times, the concept of terroir was already beginning to emerge. It was subsequently validated, in Burdigala (Bordeaux), by the identification of this very terrace with the toponym of “Haut-Brion”, used both in medieval manuscripts and on ancient maps. The legend was born and with it the very new notion of a premiere microclimate and soil that had the potential of producing wines of unparalleled quality.

The property stands facing Château La Mission Haut-Brion and shares with it the same gravelly terrace, ideal for cultivating vines already named Haut-Brion on ancient maps and deeds. The nature of the gravel at Château Haut-Brion, consisting of small stones of various types of quartz, is a key element contributing to the particularly valuable wine-growing potential of the soil. This gravel that contributes to the winegrowing value of Château Haut-Brion’s soil, is comprised of small pebbles, made up of various types of quartz. The gravelly soils lie upon a unique subsoil of clay, sand, limestone and shelly sand formed at the end of the Tertiary era, then during the Quaternary era, throughout the ice age. With a thickness varying from 20 centimetres to more than 3 metres, the deposits of gravel form mounds benefiting from an excellent orientation, with slopes ensuring natural drainage, further increased by a large hydrographic network of small watercourses, such as the Peugue or the Serpent, tributaries of the Garonne.

Protection of the environment is age-old, linked to safeguarding the terroir, passed down from one generation to the next. This involves showing careful consideration for the soils and their characteristics, limiting the number of interventions and using no insecticides. Château Haut-Brion’s grounds have a wooded area of 4 hectares, including a park of 3.5 hectares that is home to a great variety of birds, some of which are protected species. The recent inventory counted more than 40 species and the vast majority of these nest within the grounds. This diversity is further increased by the large surface area of the park and the variety of habitats it provides. The gentle, sustainable management of the wooded areas at the property is also crucial as our grounds and vineyards are part of the ecological corridors and biodiversity reservoirs of Bordeaux’s urban area. The continuous work of all the teams committed to the protection of the terroir has been rewarded by the estate obtaining dual certification: High Environmental Value (HEV) since 2018 and ISO 14001 since 2019, within the collective framework of the first association for the EMS (Environmental Management System) of Bordeaux wines.

Haut-Brion 紅顏容出品有以下酒款：

Chateau Haut-Brion

Elegant and complex, Château Haut-Brion red presents mineral aromas and a unique complexity. Its strength lays in the finish, which is surprisingly long. This aromatic persistence is due to its very noble origins.

Le Clarence de Haut-Brion

Similar in style and elegance to its elder, the Château Haut-Brion red, this second wine brings together all the unique attributes of a fine wine, while reaching maturity more quickly.

Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc

When we talk about the white wine of Château Haut-Brion, the first words that come to mind are uniqueness, excellence and richness. Château Haut-Brion white is an icon in the world of exceptional white wines. Bordeaux too can produce great white wines!

La Clarte de Haut-Brion

La Clarté de Haut-Brion boasts a legendary and unique kinship: made from grapes grown on the Haut-Brion terroir, it is born of two prestigious estates: Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion.