In the vineyard
Château Haut-Brion consists of 53 hectares of vines today in total. Fifty are dedicated to red grapes, with around 45% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Three hectares are dedicated to white grapes, with slightly more Semillon than Sauvignon Blanc, and a smattering of Sauvignon Gris.
The Bordeaux city centre is only five kilometres away, with the property almost part of the suburbs of the expanding city today.
The site consists of two raised hills of deep Gunzian gravel over clay – as deep as 18 meters in some parts, with white quartz pebbles. The high proportion of clay is significant, leading to the high proportion of Merlot in the vineyards. The vines are planted at lower density than at Château la Mission Haut-Brion (at 8-10,000 vines per hectare), with an average age of 36 years – although some parcels are close to 90 years old.
Since 1974, the property has had a clonal massal program to preserve the DNA and clonal diversity of their vineyards. They have 12 different clones planted per parcel, with over 500 clones planted in total. In 1977, 65% of the vineyard was replanted.
In the winery
The reds are fermented in stainless steel, then aged for around two years in new French oak, with up to 100% depending on the vintage. Up to 70% of the barrels are made in their on-site cooperage. The wines are blended after malolactic fermentation and before élevage.
For the white Grand Vin, the grapes are picked in the cool early morning, sorted then whole-bunch pressed. The must is barrel-fermented in 100% new French oak, with no malolactic fermentation and no stirring of the lees. It stays in oak for 13 to 16 months depending on the vintage.
In comparison to the more austere style of La Mission Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion produces rounder, richer and more elegant reds.
The Delmas family is intricately tied to the estate, with Georges Delmas hired in 1924 to manage the property. His son Jean-Bernard Delmas (who took over in 1961) was integral in improving quality, introducing modern winemaking and reducing yields. While in 1982 the estate was producing over 20,000 cases, today it makes less than half that. Jean-Bernard’s son Jean-Philippe Delmas took over in 2003.
Although Haut-Brion is known for being a highly consistent estate, some vintages are especially spectacular. The 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1992 vintages are all stand-out, while Haut-Brion also produced particularly fine wine in "off-vintages" such as 1967 and 1974. More recent highlights have been 2005, 2009, 2015 and 2016, all receiving 100 points from Parker, while 2000, 2010 and 2018 have also given near perfect showings. While still carrying significant price tags, Haut-Brion can also offer some of the best value available for a First Growth.
