Chateau Haut-Brion

In the glass

Aroma: blackcurrant, graphite, tobacco, red plum, crushed stone

Palate: cassis, dark cherry, cedar pencil, scorched earth, licorice

Merlot-led first-growth Pessac-Leognan red combining cassis and graphite with earthy tobacco and cedar. Velvety tannins and exceptional length set it apart from Medoc peers.

What it pairs with

• Roasted Pauillac lamb with thyme jus
  The earthy graphite and tobacco character of the wine echoes the herbal notes of thyme; firm tannins cut through the lamb fat.
• Entrecote with bone marrow butter
  Full body and cassis fruit stand up to the richness of marrow; scorched-earth notes bridge the char on the meat.
• Aged Comté or Mimolette
  Crystalline salt and nuttiness in aged hard cheese sharpens the wine's red-fruit core.
• Truffled veal sweetbreads
  Earthy truffle amplifies the wine's graphite and cedar register; the creamy sweetbreads soften the firm tannins.
• Canard a l'orange
  Duck fat and citrus glaze find an anchor in the wine's dark-fruit core while firm tannins cut through richness.

How to serve Chateau Haut-Brion

Allow 95 minutes from open to pour.

1. Open and decant. Open 90 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
2. Serve at 16-18°C. Cellar temperature (16-18°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
3. Glassware. Use a large Bordeaux-style glass. The bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
4. Pair with. Roasted Pauillac lamb with thyme jus, Entrecote with bone marrow butter, Aged Comté or Mimolette. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

Chateau Haut-Brion is the only first growth outside the Medoc, classified in 1855 alongside the four Pauillac estates. The property has been documented under that name since 1521 and was the first Bordeaux wine to be exported to England in the 17th century. Acquired in 1935 by American diplomat Clarence Dillon, it has been managed by the Dillon family ever since, with Jean-Philippe Delmas directing viticulture and winemaking since 2003.

1. 1521 — Estate first documented by the Pontac family
2. 1663 — Samuel Pepys records tasting 'Ho Bryan' at the Royal Oak Tavern, London, the first named Bordeaux wine to appear in English written records
3. 1855 — Classified Premier Cru Classe in the Bordeaux Classification, the only non-Medoc estate to achieve first-growth rank
4. 1935 — Acquired by American banker Clarence Dillon; estate subsequently modernised
5. 1991 — Temperature-controlled double-skinned stainless steel vats introduced, replacing traditional oak fermenters

Facts

Producer

Chateau Haut-Brion

Grapes

Merlot (45%), Cabernet Sauvignon (44%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Petit Verdot (1%)

Classification

Premier Cru Classe (1855 classification); Cru Classe de Graves

Oak

Up to 100% new French oak, 22 to 24 months; approximately 70% of barrels made on-site at the estate cooperage

ABV

14.5%

Price

EUR 550-900 at retail

Drinking window

10-40 from vintage

First vintage

1521

Scores

• Wine Advocate 98 (2019 vintage, reviewed 2022)
• James Suckling 100 (2019 vintage, reviewed 2020)
• Wine Advocate 97 (2020 vintage, reviewed 2023)

Frequently asked about Chateau Haut-Brion

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