Chateau Haut Brion



Chateau Haut Brion


Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux, France

Visited 23-12-2010

Ok so by now you have probably figured out the secret wine, wine number 2, from my visit to Chateau La Mission Haut Brion. Before the appointment, all I knew was that I was going to be doing a tour of the property and a tasting at the end to finish up. Often it is not disclosed what will be presented and an unwritten rule in the wine business I feel is that you appreciate what is presented. And so when the 2 bottles were brought out and opened I did have to pinch myself a bit when I knew I was getting the opportunity to taste the 1st labels from both properties. Remember that the gates to both Chateaus are virtually right across the road from one another.

To be considered the best in any class it takes a great dedication and sacrifice, an understanding and mastery of process, and in any realm a bit of luck and blessing. For Chateau Haut Brion, all aspects are easily attained today through the countless efforts over the past centuries, and the blessing of optimal terroir is a prerequisite that the vineyards certainly have in abundance. Haut Brion, meaning ‘little hill,’ sits on some of the highest elevated areas in the Pessac Leognan region and because of this are rewarded with a slight variation of watercourses that make quite q big difference. The vineyards soils are comprised of a mixture of gravels of a mixture of larger sizes lay on top of respective layers of slightly finer gravels which were deposited at various times through the regions histories by natural phenomenon. What results is a soil rich in minerals and poor in nutrients, with great drainage so as to promote vigorous deeply penetrating roots searching for water to thrive and a greater mixture of minerals imparted to the vine. Strong roots, happy vines. The vineyards are comprised mainly of red varietals with a small plot of white vines for their blanc. 45% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petite Verdot. The majority of the white vines is much like La Mission, and is the varietal Semillon with Sauvignon Blanc to supplement. The average age of the vines is about 36 years old, and no vine that is under about 15 years old will go into the production of the 1st wine, the Grand Vin, but rather reserved for the second label.

Chateau Haut Brion and its property have a very long story-book history. Long before the Chateau the region was realized for its qualities in viticulture. The Biturriges, a Celtic tribe from Northern Gaul, began in the 3rd Century B.C. to work here, and the Romans much continued the traditions in the region. The birth of the property can be pinpointed on April 23rd, 1525 when Jean de Pontac married the daughter of the Mayor of Libourne, Jeanne de Bellon. Shortly thereafter, in 1533, the Chateau mansion was purchased and the land and Chateau were to be together and the birth of a Grand Cru site established. The current Chateau began construction in 1549. In 1649 Arnaud III Pontac took over the ownership of the domain, and his and the families’ power and influence in the region would soon be acknowledged with his promotion as the First President of the Parliament of Bordeaux. The mansion was the finest in the region and the landholdings for the vineyard space had grown to double in size. This is when the wine begins to show up in record and literature. In 1660, in Charles II’s, King of England, wine ledger he reports having no less than 169 bottles of ‘wine of hobriono’ which were served. A few years later, on April 10th 1663, Samuel Pepys writes that he tasted the wine at the Royal Oak Tavern in London and it was the best he had ever had. Even famous English Philosopher John Locke noted in 1677 about the property in writing when he visited Bordeaux. Much later, in 1787, one of my wine heroes Thomas Jefferson visited the area as the American Ambassador to France. On May 25th he noted of 4 houses and their quality, these would be Haut Brion, Margaux, Latour, and Lafite. He was noting the 4 original 1st Growth properties almost 70 years before they were officially classified (Way to go TJ!). It was also around this time at the end of the 18th Century when Haut Brion was the first house to begin a common practice today, estate bottling. They could now much more effectively produce sturdy glass bottles and in the process better control the aging and quality of their wines.

From the Revolutionary and Reign of Terror times through the 19th and early part of the 20th Centuries much was going back and forth as for the ownership of the property. Despite all this turmoil the wine was consistently good. In 1855, for the great Paris Exhibition, the chateau houses of the Medoc to the north of the city were classified, the first officially to be done in Bordeaux. Only one house, Chateau Haut Brion, was included from outside the Medoc commune. It was awarded the prestigious Premier Grand Cru Classe level, a 1st Great Growth of Bordeaux.

1935 dawns the beginning of a rebirth at the estate and the acquiring of the property by Mr. Clarence Dillon, the famous banker from New York. He and his family have, and still do to this day, cared for the vineyards and the chateau with extreme diligence and have brought a level of prosperity to the cellar which has exceeded any before achievements. In 1961 they were the first Bordeaux chateau to introduce stainless steel vats for fermentation so as to better control and purify the process. In 1972 they began a clonal research program to match each plot with the best selections of vines. In 1989 they went through a full refurbishment of the cellars and vineyard building. Since acquisition they have continued to improve and add to the mansion and its surrounding courtyards. They have truly accepted the challenge which is to preserve and maintain the rigorous efforts necessary in producing one of the best wines in the world and one that is worthy of the title of Premier Grand Cru Classe-Chateau Haut Brion.

Chateau Haut Brion 2004 Pessac Leognan Premier Grand Cru Classe

61% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc

75% New French Oak, Duration 20 Months

Production: 10,000-14,000 Cases Annually

The assemblage of this wine takes place after the primary alcoholic fermentation when each of the batches can be analyzed.

The wine is Daybright in color with a deep garnet red color which is clear with a Medium plus concentration. There are no signs of gas or sediment. Visually, compared to the La Mission Haut Brion 2004 next to it, I find the color a bit deeper and the hue a bit more youthful, including the color variation at the rim. There is a moderate staining of the tears left by a Medium plus level of viscosity.

The intensity of the nose is a bit stronger here but is still very focused and driven. Also it seems to be a bit tighter with a bit of the secondary flavors still needing a little more bottle aging to unwind. The fruit is perceived as darker on the nose, blacker berry fruits and some currants. The earth notes are in fact subtle but developing quite nicely and have the tobacco and cigar spice elements already rounding out the finish. Also a touch of smokiness lingers on the finish.

The wine tastes very clean and precise, and one can truly understand what a wine is supposed to be like when using the word seamless. It is dry with Medium plus tannins and acids, moderate alcohol and a long almost never ending balanced finish, even at this youthful stage. The fruits are confirmed as staying towards the blacker berries and the flavors continue to develop on the palate. The dark black earth component is pronounced, with a strong mineral influence, and the development of subtle dark chocolate notes intermixes with the cigar smoke flavors on the finish.

What a great experience to be able to taste this wine next to the corresponding vintage from neighboring La Mission Haut Brion. Both were excellent in their own regards, and it is enlightening when one can firsthand experience what literally a stone’s throw of a difference can make.

Salute!



http://www.haut-brion.com/

http://www.domaineclarencedillon.com/

visit@haut-brion.com