Château Haut-Brion is located in Pessac, Graves just one mile from the city of Bordeaux in France (Appellation Graves Controlée). The vineyard consists of 109 acres producing 12,000-15,000 cases of wine each year. Château Haut-Brion is classified as a "First Growth" Bordeaux wine. It is the he only non-Medoc estate to be included in the famous 1855 classification.
History
The only first-growth to be American-owned and Bordeaux's first internationally acclaimed winemaking estate. Château Haut-Brion dates back to 1525 when Jean de Pontac married Jeanne de Bellon who brought to him in her dowry the land of Haut-Brion. Illustrious owners have marked Haut-Brion for more than four centuries: admirals, an archbishop, a Grand Marshal of France, a Governor of Guyenne, three mayors of Bordeaux, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord (at the time he was Minister of Relations for the Consulate) and more recently the Ambassador of the United States in Paris, Clarence Douglas Dillon , who was also Minister of Finance in the U.S. when J.F. Kennedy was president. Today, the Duchess de Mouchy , granddaughter of Clarence Dillon, is chairperson of the public limited company of "Domaine Clarence Dillon". In the 1960s, Haut-Brion was the first of the great growths to innovate with new stainless steel fermentation vats.
Diarist Samuel Pepys, Philosopher John Locke, Cardinal Richelieu and U.S. President Thomas Jefferson all wrote about the special quality of wine produced at Haut-Brion.
Winemaking
Château Haut-Brion is planted with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Average age of vines is 30 years.
The Grand Vin at Chateau Haut-Brion is fermented in stainless steel vats and aged in new oak barrels for 24-27 months, and clarified with six egg whites per barrel. The winemaking is managed by Jean Delmas , who believes in a controlled but rather hot, short fermentation.
The wine has a complex bouquet of ripe fruit, tobacco and mineral, earthy scents. The wine is rich, ripe, medium to full-bodied and well structured. A wine that seems to balance power and elegance, richness and harmony perfectly. It goes very well with beef, lamb, veal and game.
External links
Haut-Brion