Château Haut-Brion
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The only First Growth outside the Médoc — producing both legendary red and one of the world's finest white Bordeaux
Château Haut-Brion holds a unique place in Bordeaux history as the only non-Médoc estate included in the 1855 classification, earning First Growth status alongside the great Médoc châteaux. Located in Pessac-Léognan (Graves), just south of Bordeaux city, the estate's history predates modern wine classification — it was already exporting to England in the 17th century. Under the ownership of Domaine Clarence Dillon since 1935, Haut-Brion is celebrated for its complex, smoky, earthy character that distinguishes it from the cassis-dominated Médoc style. Uniquely, it produces both an exceptional red (Merlot-dominant, unusually for Bordeaux) and one of the world's finest dry white wines.
www.haut-brion.com ↗Cuvées
シャトー・オー・ブリオン ルージュ
Château Haut-Brion Rouge
RedMerlot · Cabernet Sauvignon · Cabernet Franc
Uniquely earthy, mineral, and smoky Bordeaux from Pessac-Léognan, with higher Merlot than Médoc First Growths, offering a distinctly intellectual style.
シャトー・オー・ブリオン ブラン
Château Haut-Brion Blanc
WhiteSauvignon Blanc · Sémillon
Château Haut-Brion Blanc is widely considered one of the greatest dry white wines in the world. Produced in very limited quantities from the gravelly soils of Pessac-Léognan, this wine blends Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon into a masterpiece of complexity and longevity. It offers an extraordinary aromatic profile — citrus, white flowers, honey, and beeswax — underpinned by a profound mineral backbone. The opulent texture is perfectly balanced by vibrant acidity, enabling it to age gracefully for three or more decades.
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Le Clarence de Haut-Brion
RedMerlot · Cabernet Sauvignon · Cabernet Franc · Petit Verdot
Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is the prestigious second wine of Château Haut-Brion, one of the First Growths of the 1855 Classification. Formerly known as Bahans Haut-Brion, it was renamed in 2007 to honor Clarence Dillon, who purchased the estate in 1935. Crafted with the same meticulous attention to detail as the Grand Vin, it offers a profound expression of the Pessac-Léognan terroir. The wine is characterized by its elegance, complexity, and remarkable aging potential, showcasing notes of dark fruit, tobacco, and the signature smoky minerality typical of Haut-Brion.
Who Is This For?
For connoisseurs who seek Bordeaux's most distinctive and complex terroir expression — where smoky minerality and earthy depth define greatness over pure fruit power
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was Haut-Brion included in the 1855 Médoc classification despite being from Graves?
- Château Haut-Brion's reputation was already centuries-old by 1855 — it appears in the diaries of Samuel Pepys in 1663 as 'Ho Bryan,' and by the 18th century it was commanding premium prices in London. The classifiers simply could not ignore it, making it the sole exception to the Médoc-only rule.
- What makes Haut-Brion's style unique among First Growths?
- Unlike the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Médoc First Growths, Haut-Brion uses more Merlot, giving the red wine a rounder, more approachable quality. Its 'signature' is a distinctive smoky, earthy, almost tobacco-and-graphite mineral note that no other Bordeaux estate replicates.
- How is Haut-Brion Blanc related to Haut-Brion Rouge?
- Haut-Brion Blanc is a separate wine from a dedicated white wine parcel (about 2.7 hectares) within the estate, blending Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. It is often ranked as the finest or second-finest dry white in all of Bordeaux, alongside Laville Haut-Brion (now Clarence Haut-Brion Blanc).
- What is Le Clarence de Haut-Brion?
- Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is the second wine of the estate (formerly called Bahans Haut-Brion until 2007). Made from Merlot-dominant blends with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, it is more approachable in its youth while retaining the estate's distinctive smoky character.