Le Clarte de Haut Brion, Pessac Léognan,

Haut Brion has arguably been the most consistent First Growth over the past thirty years. The property can be traced back to the 14th century although the current owners can track their lineage back to 1935, when the American financier, Clarence Dillon bought the rather beleaguered estate. Now, Clarence Dillon’s great grandson, Prince Robert of Luxembourg presides. The other name synonymous with Haut Brion is that of the Delmas family. Three generations have made Haut Brion their life’s work, George (1921-1960), Jean Bernard (1960-2003) and Jean-Philippe (2003-to present).

Situated upon two gravel croupes, this exceptional terroir in the suburbs of Bordeaux benefits from the heat of the surrounding buildings, which enables the vines to achieve perfect ripeness in even the most challenging vintages. Due to the extra warmth, harvest dates are usually amongst the earliest in Bordeaux. The vineyards are planted with 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc for the reds and Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for the whites. Aside from the Grand vins, the estate produces a second red wine, Clarence de Haut Brion, previously called Bahans de Haut Brion and a second white wine, Clarté de Haut Brion, previously named Plantiers de Haut Brion.