Visits

Château Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan,
Cru Classé des Graves & Premier Grand Cru Classé (France)


 

As one nears the estate, which spreads out on both sides of a very busy street at the entrance of the town of Pessac, a few small apartment buildings protruding on the edge of the vineyards, it is at once difficult to believe and rather amusing to think that one of the greatest wines in the world is produced here. Nonetheless, Haut-Brion has successfully resisted the assault of urban spread, standing firm at the town’s doorstep with an air of simple and authentic elegance.

The estate, whose foundation dates back to 1423, distinguishes itself not only through its wines (so admired by the likes of Thomas Jefferson, who evidently spent his time wisely during his stay in France), but through the various innovative steps it has taken during the course of its history. For example, in 1958, the estate adopted a uniquely shaped bottle for its 750ml formats of Château Haut-Brion (primarily to avoid infringement and which has since become very distinctive). In 1961, Haut-Brion was the first estate in the Bordeaux region to begin using stainless steel vats.
 

Château Haut-Brion, 2004
Good. Toasty, powerful, tannins still rather dry on the finish. Clearly, and as the reputation of Château Haut-Brion suggests, this is a wine best discovered after some aging. Blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot. (Mar 2007)

Ownership & Management
Purchased in 1935 by Clarence Dillon (a New York broker), the estate is now owned by the descendants of Clarence Dillon and managed by Madame la Duchesse de Mouchy (Clarence Dillon’s grand-daughter), Prince Robert de Luxembourg (son of the Duchesse de Mouchy) and other family members. They are assisted by Jean-Philippe Delmas (commercial and technical director) and Jean-Bernard Masclef (cellar master).

Winemakers, Consultants
Jean-Bernard Masclef
 

Vineyard
About 51 ha located on an elevated plateau in Pessac, 48 ha of which are composed of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, and 2.8 ha of which are planted with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The vines, which are about 37 years old, are planted on heterogeneous soils composed of a deep gravely-sandy surface layer lying above a more clayey layer.

About 200 persons work at Haut-Brion during the harvest, sorting and harvesting the grapes manually in the vineyard, then sorting them again manually at the sorting table. The grapes are then passed through the de-stemming and crushing machine.

Haut-Brion has its own laboratory on site where grape, vine, wine analyses are conducted.
 

Winemaking
The estate’s wines are produced using traditional methods and sophisticated equipment. In 1961, the estate switched from wooden vats to stainless steel tanks in order to better control the temperature and to reserve wood aromas for the aging process. Jean-Bernard Delmas invented the special stainless steel tanks used at Haut-Brion, which contain a large compartment for the alcoholic fermentation and a lower, smaller compartment for the malolactic fermentation.

The lightly crushed red grapes are transferred to the stainless steel tanks by hydraulics pumps. The fermentation is specific to each parcel and to the maturity of the grapes. It is controlled through probes within the tanks connected to an electronic control room. The alcoholic fermentation, which lasts about 2-3 weeks, is conducted as much as possible with indigenous yeasts. During this stage, part of the wine is transferred from the bottom to the top of the compartment 3-4 times a day (thereby transferring the entire content once a day). And extraction is limited. The wine is then transferred by gravity flow to the smaller, lower compartment of the tanks where the malolactic fermentation takes place.

The vin de presse is extracted with a pneumatic press. Since the cap left in the tanks at the end of the alcoholic fermentation has been well drained, little vin de presse is in fact extracted. Depending on the year, the vin de presse may be incorporated into the Château Haut-Brion (first wine) or Château Bahans Haut-Brion (second wine).

The wines are blended at the end of the malolactic fermentation and before the aging process begins to ensure that the wine’s taste dominates over that of the wood aromas. Château Haut-Brion is aged 15-22 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Château Bahans Haut-Brion, which is made with grapes from the same vineyards and according to the same methods as the first wine, is aged in 70% new French oak barrels and 30% one-year old French oak barrels. 80% of the estate’s barrels are hand-made by a Séguin-Moreau employee directly on the Haut-Brion premises. This allows the estate to control and vary the degree to which the barrels are toasted (usually a medium toast). Before bottling, the wine is fined with fresh egg whites.

The yields are about 50 hl/ha.
 

Wines
. Château Haut-Brion (10,000-14,000 bottles/year)
. Château Bahans Haut-Brion (its yearly production varies depending on that of the first wine)