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Château Haut-Brion
The Château |
The Architectural
Model |
The Wine
Cabinet
History
Château Haut-Brion is notable for its First Growth status, under both the
1855 and 1973 Medoc classifications, despite its geographical location in Grave.
This mark of respect is due to the obsession with quality and continual winemaking
improvements that have been the dominant modus operandi at the Château over the
past four centuries.
The modern estate grew from humble origins as a property known as Maison Noble
d'Aubrion which was acquired by Jean de Pontac through his marriage to Jeanne de
Bellon in 1525.
Pontac was responsible for expanding the estate, and creating an international
market for the wines, , the quality of which was noted by Samuel Pepys who wrote
in April 1663, "here [I] drank a sort of French wine, called Ho Bryan, that hath a
good and most particular taste that I never met with." However, the estate was still
known formally as Château Pontac until the late 18th Century when it eventually
passed out of the Pontac family’s hands.
As the first recorded First Growth to be imported into the United States, when
Thomas Jefferson purchased six cases during his travels and sent them back to his
home in Virginia, it is perhaps unsurprising that the estate was eventually purchased
by an American. After a string of owners, financier Clarence Dillon acquired the estate
in 1935. The Château is currently owned by Domaine Clarence Dillon, which is a limited
company and thereby prevents excessive divisions of the estate between generations.
Presently, Prince Robert of Luxembourg is at the helm, with Jean-Philippe Delmas
managing the viticultural aspects of the business.
As a First Growth, there is constant pressure to produce outstanding yet consistent
wines and Château Haut-Brion has consistently embraced new technologies to meet this
standard. In the 1960s, the estate pioneered the installation of stainless steel vats
– the first of the First Growths to do so. This increased the reliability of the
vinification process and positioned the Château at the forefront of innovation in
the Bordeaux region, producing a savoury wine which is both rich and intricate.
Order top vintages of Château Haut-Brion