Haut Brion blanc

History of Château Haut-Brion Blanc

Château Haut-Brion is the oldest of Bordeaux's great growths. Founded from 1525 by Jean de Pontac, who had the château built in 1549, it was the first Bordeaux vineyard to bear the name of its location. As early as the 17th century, the wine graced the tables of the kings of England, and Thomas Jefferson himself celebrated it during his visit in 1787. In 1855, Haut-Brion was elevated to the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé — the only wine from the Graves to be distinguished alongside the greatest growths of the Médoc.

The creation of an exceptional white wine was the dream of the Larrieu family, owners in the 19th century, who aspired to achieve the aromatic fullness of a great sweet wine within a dry wine. In 1935, the estate was acquired by American banker Clarence Dillon; it is today directed by his descendant, Prince Robert de Luxembourg, within Domaine Clarence Dillon. Since 2009, the second white wine has borne the name La Clarté de Haut-Brion, replacing the former Les Plantiers du Haut-Brion.

Terroirs and Vines of Château Haut-Brion Blanc

The vineyard of Château Haut-Brion extends over approximately fifty hectares at the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation, of which only three hectares are devoted to white grape varieties. These plots rest on the famous Günzian gravel terrace, composed of quartz pebbles mixed with sand, clay and limestone, which ensures optimal natural drainage. Just a few kilometres from the centre of Bordeaux, this unique terroir confers upon the wine its characteristic minerality and depth.

The white grape varieties are planted in an almost equal-parts assemblage of sémillon (approximately 52%) and sauvignon blanc (approximately 47%), with a touch of sauvignon gris. The sémillon contributes richness and aromatic weight, while the sauvignon blanc ensures freshness and tension. Production remains extremely confidential, with fewer than a thousand cases produced each year, making Château Haut-Brion Blanc one of the most difficult dry white wines to acquire in the world.

Vinifications of Château Haut-Brion Blanc

The harvest of the white grapes is one of the earliest in Bordeaux: it generally begins as early as August, in order to preserve the freshness and balance of the berries. The sémillons and sauvignons are pressed in pneumatic presses inerted with nitrogen, which protects the musts from oxidation and preserves the purity of the aromas.

Fermentation takes place directly in oak barrels. The ageing then continues on lees, which are kept in suspension through bâtonnage in order to nourish the wine and develop its full aromatic richness, for nine to twelve months, with approximately half of the barrels being new. This exceptional expertise, perpetuated by the estate's technical team, shapes a white wine that is at once rich, mineral and of remarkable longevity.

The Cuvées of Château Haut-Brion Blanc

Château Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan, dry white) is the estate's great fine wine, an almost equal-parts assemblage of sémillon and sauvignon blanc. Of great aromatic complexity, it reveals notes of white flowers, citrus, linden and verbena, which evolve over time towards beeswax, toasted hazelnut and honey. The palate, ample and unctuous, astounds with its minerality and infinite length. Endowed with an exceptional longevity for a white wine, it can be kept for several decades and pairs beautifully with noble fish, shellfish, cream-sauced poultry and aged cheeses.

La Clarté de Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan, dry white) is the second white wine, born from an assemblage of the young vines of Château Haut-Brion and the neighbouring Château La Mission Haut-Brion. More immediately approachable, fresh and elegant, it offers an ideal entry point into the style of the great whites of the house. Enthusiasts may also discover Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, a rare twin expression from the same family estate.