Chateau Haut-Brion
The 1855 classification included châteaux from the Médoc, with just one exception. Château Haut-Brion is located in the Pessac commune, situated just southwest of the center of Bordeaux. Rather than being surrounded by open countryside, this area is bordered by houses and roads, and it is the only cru designated as Premier Grand Cru Classé outside of Médoc that year. Furthermore, this wine is the only one classified as an 1855 First Growth and a Classified Growth from Graves.
Gravel defines this location. The vineyard is situated on a terrace composed of small quartz gravel, which Romans had already noted, and the vineyard belongs to the Pessac-Léognan appellation, located at the northern end of Graves. Currently, this vineyard is owned by Domaine Clarence Dillon and produces red wine and a small quantity of white wine.
The history
Vines had been growing on this gravelly terrain long before anyone began bottling wine under that name. According to records, Johanna Faure cultivated grapevines in September 1426 at Haut Mont, near the site where the manor house was later built, and the grapes planted there were intended to produce wine for the Bordeaux chapel. Château Haut-Brion estimates that vines were first planted on this hill in the 1st century AD, though this is closer to legend than documented history.
Documentary evidence becomes reliable starting in 1521. There is written evidence that wine was produced annually on this property, then known as Aubrion, beginning that year, and Haut-Brion became the first Bordeaux vineyard to be named after the terroir rather than the owner or parish. As a result, this site became the oldest winery in Bordeaux and remains in continuous operation to this day.
Four years later, ownership of the land changed hands in the traditional manner. On the 23rd of April, 1525, Jeanne de Bellon, the daughter of the mayor of Libourne, married Jean de Pontac, and the future Haut-Brion came with her as part of her dowry. Pontac began construction of the château in 1549.
Appraisals followed. On the 10th of April, 1663, Samuel Pepys wrote about this wine in his diary; this is generally considered the first time the name of a specific wine was mentioned in print. Nearly two centuries later, in 1855, Haut-Brion was the only cru outside the Médoc to be classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé. Furthermore, the name is even older than all of these, tracing its origins to the Celtic term briga, which means hill or ridge.
The vineyards
About 2,000 years ago, Romans, who was working on a terrace above two small streams, discovered that the area was covered with small quartz pebbles. They called this Graves. This word eventually became the name of a wine region, and the terraces have retained the place name Haut-Brion in medieval manuscripts and old maps.
The gravel layer at Château Haut-Brion does not form a uniform stratum. The thickness of the sedimentary layer ranges from about 20 centimeters to over 3 meters, forming rolling hills with slopes that allow water to flow naturally downhill. A network of small waterways, including Peugue, drains the remaining water.
Below this layer of gravel you will find soil composed of a mixture of clay, sand, limestone, and seashells. This soil was deposited during the late Tertiary period and the Quaternary Ice Age. The upper layer consists of poor soil, while the lower layer has excellent water retention capacity.
Both John Locke and Thomas Jefferson toured the site, and both asked the obvious question. How can such excellent wine be produced from such barren soil? Pessac-Léognan, an appellation located at the northern tip of Graves, was born precisely from that mystery.
The terroir of the vineyards
Two thousand years ago, Romans, who were tending terraced fields set between two low hills and two streams, discovered small quartz pebbles that the French called graves. Since then, viticulture in this area has been inextricably linked to those stones, and medieval manuscripts and old maps already record the name Haut-Brion for this exact plot of land.
The gravel at Château Haut-Brion does not form a uniform layer. Its thickness varies from 20 centimeters to over 3 meters, and beneath it lies subsoil composed of clay, sand, limestone, and shell sand accumulated during the late Tertiary period and the Quaternary Ice Age. Rocks on top, moisture-retaining material below.
It is precisely this combination that has drawn a constant stream of visitors. Both John Locke and Thomas Jefferson visited this place, and both found themselves trapped by the same question. Namely, how can such high-quality wine be produced from such poor soil? No one in Pessac-Léognan has ever provided a completely convincing answer to this question, and that is precisely part of the charm of this place.
What is planted
The red blend of Château Haut-Brion is slightly weighted toward Merlot, while Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for a nearly equal proportion:
- Merlot Noir 45%
- Cabernet Sauvignon 44%
- Cabernet Franc 10%
- Petit Verdot, the remaining 1%
As for white wine, the two varieties are blended in nearly equal proportions:
- Sémillon 53%
- Sauvignon Blanc 47%
Four wines, four labels
Château Haut-Brion is a grand vin, a red wine classified as a First Growth in the 1855 classification. This wine serves as the benchmark against which all other wines from this winery are evaluated.
Le Clarence de Haut Brion is another red wine under the Haut-Brion brand, produced from the same 48 hectares of red vines as the grand vin.
De Haut Brion Blanc is the worldwide renowned white wine from Haut Brion, produced from small plots of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. It belongs to the best wines of the world, a status comparable with Le Montrachet in Burgundy.
La Clarté de Haut Brion is another more budget friendly beautiful white wine.
So the Domaine Clarence Dillon's wine produced at Pessac is not limited to red wine; the white wine segment of this vineyard is not merely an afterthought but a genuine part of the vineyard's operations. However, when people talk about Haut-Brion, these three are the names most commonly mentioned.
The best vintages of Haut Brion
Haut Brion offers four different wines with their own vinatages and characteristics.
For the grand vin Haut Brion the legendary vintages are: 1926, 1928, 1929, 1945, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Château Haut-Brion?
Yes, but by appointment only. The estate is in Pessac, on the edge of Bordeaux.
Where does the name Haut-Brion come from?
It is thought to derive from the old Celtic word Briga, meaning a rise or a mound in the land, which fits the gravel hillocks the vines sit on.
Is Haut-Brion in Graves or in Pessac-Léognan?
Both, in practice. The appellation on the label is Pessac-Léognan, which lies at the northern end of the wider Graves growing area.
What is the link with Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion?
Those vineyards were once part of Haut-Brion. The estate is said to have been created in 1584, when Haut-Brion's owner left the land to Carmelite monks, hence the name.
