History
Approximately 2,000 years ago, the virtues of these tiny quartz pebbles known as “gravels” were discovered. The earliest written mention of a wine that was specifically identified as being produced from these soils can be traced back to 1521.
When he purchased Château Haut-Brion in 1935, Clarence
Dillon restored it to its former glory and to the elite circle
of the most legendary wines in the world.
This extraordinary, bold, courageous vision is now
continued by the fourth generation of the family,
represented by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Chairman
and CEO since 2008. Located in the town of Pessac, just
a few kilometres from Bordeaux, Château Haut-Brion –
the first of the three estates acquired by the Dillon family
– is the oldest winegrowing property in the region.
1st century AD
The ancient Haut-Brion terroir
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1521
The oldest mention to date
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1533
The Pontac dynasty
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1549
Building the Château
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1589
Fortifying the château’s reputation
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17th
The expansion
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Mid-17th
Unrivalled wines
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1660
Success in London, part one
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1663
Success in London, part two
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1666
Pontack’s head
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1677
The birth of a legend
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1749
The 18th and 19th centuries: modernity, unity and accolade
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1787
Joseph de Fumel and Thomas Jefferson
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1801
Talleyrand and the Empire period
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1855
The classification of 1855
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1859
The Larrieu family and “the spirit of the Girondins”
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1880
The fight against phylloxera
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1923
Systematic bottling at the estate
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1935
The arrival of the Dillon family
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1939
The estate converted into a hospital
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1975 – 1991
Château Haut-Brion enters the 21st century
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2004
An exceptional discovery
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2012
The fourth generation
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2021
The opening of the Pavillon Catelan
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1st century ADThe ancient Haut-Brion terroir
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The wine-growing history of the Haut-Brion area goes back to the middle of the first century A.D., as attested by the recent discovery of a coin bearing the effigy of the Roman Emperor Claudius on a gravelly hillside, which corroborates the Celtic origin of the toponym “Haut-Brion”. At that time, the Romans taught the art of viticulture to Bituriges Vivisques, a Gallic tribe who founded Burdigala, the ancient Bordeaux.
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1521The oldest mention to date
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In two recently discovered manuscripts in the Departmental Archives of the Gironde dating from 1521 and 1526, the term “cru” for the locations of “Aubrion” and “Haulbrion”, refers to the wine elaborated on this terroir. These two texts marked the beginning of an evolution spanning over three centuries, ultimately elevating Haut-Brion to the esteemed rank of “Premier Cru Classé” in the prestigious 1855 Classification of Wines of the Gironde. Thus, from the beginning of the 16th century, the first luxury brand in the world is born.
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1533The Pontac dynasty
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In 1533, Jean de Pontac acquired the Manorial rights from a Basque merchant, Jean Duhalde. Pontac had married Jeanne de Bellon in 1525 and her dowry was a portion of the Haut-Brion land. Once he had acquired the title, Jean de Pontac continually perfected the work begun by the Romans, expanding and renovating the estate, turning it into what it is today, the ancestor of the Bordeaux Grands Crus.
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1549Building the Château
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In 1549, he began building the château. Knowing the land very well, Jean de Pontac decided to build it on a sandy area at the foot of a magnificent gravel slope, used only for growing vines. Jean de Pontac was one of the most important owners of Haut-Brion and was personally very involved in the winemaking throughout his life.
By the end of his days, he owned over half of the vines that now make up Haut-Brion. He passed away at the advanced age of 101 on April 5th 1589, having lived through the reigns of five Kings: Louis XII, François I, Henri II, Charles IX and Henri III – likely a unique experience during that era.
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1589Fortifying the château’s reputation
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After Jean de Pontac’s death, his fourth son, Arnaud II de Pontac, inherited the château, followed by his nephew Geoffroy in 1605. The two generations after Jean de Pontac did everything they could to make their name known, producing and selling the wine from their estate, but it was the following generation, that of Arnaud III de Pontac, that really strengthened the château’s reputation.
According to all reports, Arnaud III, Geoffroy’s son, was a true Renaissance man. An erudite humanist, he was reported to have had one of the largest private libraries in France. He quickly became one of the most influential politicians in Bordeaux when he was appointed First President of the Guyenne Parliament.
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17thThe expansion
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As soon as he inherited the estate, Arnaud III began to expand the residence, adding an additional wing to the Château and doubling the surface area of the vineyard. Additionally, he leveraged his political influence to expand the renown of his wine, particularly in England. Although Bordeaux was no longer under English rule at the beginning of the 17th century, most of its wines were still exported there.
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Mid-17thUnrivalled wines
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Arnaud III de Pontac’s name is engraved in the history of Haut-Brion and French wine, mainly because he pioneered a new style of wine, which became the precursor to all modern-day Grand Cru reds. This innovative style of wine, known as the “New French Claret,” became hugely popular on the English market, the traditional customer of Bordeaux wines. It was a “vin de garde” (long-keeping wine) that ultimately sparked a “wine revolution,” according to many historians.
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1660Success in London, part one
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In 1660, after 11 years of Puritanism, the English monarchy was restored, with the accession of Charles II to the throne. He will serve Château Haut-Brion at his table, for the first time in the year of his coronation. The cellar book (officially known as the Office of the Pantry, the Butler and the Cellar of the Lord King) mentions that in 1660-1661, Joseph Batailhe received for “169 Bls [bottles] 1 parcel wine of Hobriono [Haut-Brion] for himself personally delivering for the Lord King and hospitality at 21s 4d per Bl with full jugs”.
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1663Success in London, part two
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In the space of three years, the King’s tastes were shared by other circles, firstly the Court and then in London’s upper class. Samuel Pepys, the famous English diarist, wrote in his journal in 1663: “… And there drank a sort of French wine called Ho Bryan (sic), that hath a good and most particular taste that I never met with…”
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1666Pontack’s head
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In 1666, Arnaud III sent his son François-Auguste de Pontac to the English capital, accompanied by a French chef. Here, they opened an upscale tavern called “Pontack’s Head”, inspired by a portrait of his father hanging on the door. The location was excellent, in close proximity to several clubs of influential intellectuals. It immediately became “… the only fashionable establishment in all of London…” acting as a tavern, restaurant and delicatessen. Pontac sold his Haut-Brion here at a high price – 7 shillings a bottle, compared to the usual 2 shillings paid for all other wines. The establishment became a meeting place for intellectuals, serving Haut-Brion wine and a cuisine that was much more elaborate than the fare served in other London inns at the time. Aristocrats, artists, writers and wine lovers all gathered to taste and buy the bottles of Haut-Brion, praising its incomparable qualities.
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1677The birth of a legend
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Following the Royal example, famous personalities took an interest in Haut-Brion wine, in an attempt to understand the origin of its “very particular taste”. John Locke, the famous English philosopher, visited the estate on May 14th 1677 and wrote about it in his book, The Works of John Locke: “The wine of Pontac, so revered in England, is made on a little rise of ground, lieing open most to the west. It is noe thing but pure white sand, mixed with a little gravel. One would imagin it scarce fit to bear anything.” The legend of Château Haut-Brion was born.
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1749The 18th and 19th centuries: modernity, unity and accolade
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Less than a century later, in 1749, Joseph de Fumel inherited Château Haut-Brion from his father. A new golden age then began. He created a large, French-style park and designed a more intimate garden, still in existence near the château. He also built an Orangerie and new outbuildings around the main courtyard.
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1787Joseph de Fumel and Thomas Jefferson
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On May 25th 1787, Joseph de Fumel received Thomas Jefferson at Château Haut-Brion for the first time. Jefferson gave his first impressions of the vineyard that day: “The soil of Haut-Brion, which I examined in great detail, is made up of sand, in which there is near as much round gravel or small stone and a very little loam.” The next day, he wrote to his brother-in-law Francis Eppes: “I cannot deny myself the pleasure of asking you to invest in a parcel of wine I have been chosing for myself. I do it the rather as it will furnish you a specimen of what is the very best Bordeaux wine. It is of the vineyard of Obrion, one of the four established as the very best and it is of the vintage of 1784. Six dozen bottles of it will be packed separately addressed to you.”
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Jefferson’s account is of even more value as his private correspondence demonstrates how knowledgeable he was about Bordeaux wines. He identified “four first-quality vineyards” for red wine: Château Lafite, Château Margaux, Château Latour and Château Haut-Brion, anticipating the classification of 1855. Ironically, the same year that Joseph de Fumel was guillotined, Jefferson was elected President of the United States, staying true to “his” Château Haut-Brion. After appearing on the Royal tables of England and France, Haut-Brion wine was a regular guest at the White House dinners of Presidents Madison and Monroe.
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1801Talleyrand and the Empire period
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Over the next 40 years, the property passed through the hands of various owners. In 1801, it was purchased by Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Prince of Benevento, while he was Minister of Foreign Affairs under Napoleon Bonaparte, the future Napoleon I, introducing his wines to the highest political circles of France at the time. A man of taste and a lover of good food, Talleyrand commissioned the services of Marie-Antoine (known as Antonin) Carême, nicknamed “the King of chefs and the chef to Kings”. A clever strategist, he made use of Carême’s inimitable dishes, served with Château Haut-Brion wines, to further his political ambitions and was fond of saying, “My diplomacy is done through my pans and my kitchen.” As he was extremely busy with his political career, he did not have much time for the estate, which he sold in 1804.
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1855The classification of 1855
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In 1836, Joseph Eugène Larrieu bought the Château and devoted himself to the property. In 1855, he received a reward that was commensurate with his efforts at Château Haut-Brion. That year, at the Paris World Fair, the Association of Bordeaux Wine Merchants, upon request from the Gironde Chamber of Commerce, drew up an official classification of the best wines of Bordeaux. The merchants based their conclusions on the prices obtained in markets over the past several centuries. Château Haut-Brion was named one of the four “Premiers Grands Crus Classés” for red wine, alongside Margaux, Lafite and Latour. Historically, in many aspects, this 1855 classification was the direct descendant of the remarks made by Thomas Jefferson in 1787.
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Despite this success, the three generations of the Larrieu family, who owned the estate from 1836 to 1896, suffered as a result of the political upheavals and the diseases that affected Bordeaux vineyards in the latter half of the 19th century. In 1859, after the death of his father, Amédée (1807-1873) took control of Château Haut-Brion’s destiny.
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1859The Larrieu family and “the spirit of the Girondins”
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Like many Haut-Brion owners, he combined winemaking with a political career. As the head of the estate, he successfully coped with the ravages of powdery mildew, gradually replanting the vineyard. He also modernised the cellars, supervised wine production and developed outlets in the English market. After 1870, he was re-elected as Member of Parliament then became Prefect of the Gironde. The people of Bordeaux proudly said that he embodied the “Girondin spirit” of revolutionary France.
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1880The fight against phylloxera
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Amédée de Larrieu died in 1873, leaving his son Eugène (1848-1896) in charge of the estate. Born in Château Haut-Brion and a lawyer like his father, Eugène was famous for stating with conviction that “phylloxera would not dare to show its face here!” Unfortunately, the aphid devastated vineyards all over Europe, hitting Château Haut-Brion hard in 1880. He led a very fierce fight against the disease, which he managed to overcome by completely rebuilding his vineyard using a rootstock from North America, the riverbank grape (Vitis riparia).
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1923Systematic bottling at the estate
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Château Haut-Brion was also one of the first to systematically bottle its wine at the estate, from 1923 onwards. In January 1925, André Gibert, an eccentric character but a good winegrower, purchased Château Haut-Brion and managed it for nine years. Despite his advanced age and poor health, and without any heirs to inherit his legacy, he began looking for a sufficiently powerful and influential figure to stop his treasured land from being built on and to restore the château to its former glory.
And so the person who would offer Château Haut-Brion its third golden age, whose descendants are still at the helm of the estate, entered the frame.
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1935The arrival of the Dillon family
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In 1934, Clarence Dillon, a New York banker, visited Château Haut-Brion during a trip to France. As he was on his way back to the United States by boat, he received a telegram informing him that he could purchase Haut-Brion, but with the condition that he must act swiftly. His response was clear: “Act quickly!” The purchase was finalised on May 13th, 1935, meaning that a fourth dynasty took over the reins. The modern era of Haut-Brion could now begin. The history of the Dillon family is closely intertwined with that of 20th century France. From 1935 to the present day, no other vineyard has been linked to an American family for as long as Haut-Brion, a family who adores France and its way of life.
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When Clarence Dillon bought Château Haut-Brion in 1935, he grew even closer to France. A visionary, he made an impulse purchase, aware that he was buying a part of the history of the country he loved, despite its trials and tribulations, economic crises, the war and the fall in wine sales. Clarence Dillon and his nephew, Seymour Weller, did everything they could to modernise the estate. They immediately installed electricity and a new plumbing system, redesigned the park and its grounds, cut the trees and renovated the cellars.
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1939The estate converted into a hospital
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In September 1939, when the Second World War broke out, Clarence Dillon converted Château Haut-Brion into a hospital, to receive wounded officers from the French Army. Throughout this period, he worked as an unofficial liaison agent between the American and British governments. His crucial role was not recognised until much later.
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1975 – 1991Château Haut-Brion enters the 21st century
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In 1961, they modernised the vat room, bringing in new stainless steel vats. From 1975 to 2008, his granddaughter Joan Dillon accomplished an impressive project that would enable Château Haut-Brion to enter the 21st century. Passionate about interior decor and a woman of great taste, she completely renovated the château interior, building and installing the elegant entrance gates and creating the park that surrounds the château. In 1979, she was joined by her husband the Duke of Mouchy, who worked alongside her to manage the family company. In 1991, she inaugurated the high-tech vat room at Château Haut-Brion, next to the brand new Cour des Artisans.
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2004An exceptional discovery
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In 2004, an exceptional discovery was made in a partially submerged cave on the island of Mayotte: a diver came across an ancient pirates’ cache and its many varied treasures. Among them was a bottle of Château Haut-Brion, dating from around the 1850s, as confirmed by some coins found in the same place. This unique example, now back at the property, was a source of inspiration when creating the bottle for Château Quintus, the Right Bank property of Domaine Clarence Dillon, acquired in 2011.
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2012The fourth generation
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Under the leadership of her son, Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the renovation of Château Haut-Brion’s magnificent buildings was completed. Certified to the High Quality Environmental standard (materials that comply with sustainable development as much as possible, energy efficiency, water efficiency and a harmonious relationship with the immediate environment), these renovations include new reception rooms, new offices and a kitchen suitable for top chefs, so that the art of hospitality, so dear to Domaine Clarence Dillon, can be practised. Designed by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the Château Haut-Brion library is a circular room with shelves that go from the floor to the ceiling with hidden doorways.
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It is very highly regarded throughout Europe – much like the library of Arnaud III de Pontac several centuries before – for its first editions and rare books on gastronomy and wine.
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2021The opening of the Pavillon Catelan
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The Pavillon Catelan is the outcome of the renovation of an old building dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. It is designed to welcome visitors in a setting that celebrates the French art of living, to offer services and bespoke reception venues, as well as to provide guests with access to wines of the group to be tasted on the premises or in the shop, La Cave du Château, Bordeaux.
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