Château La Tour Haut-Brion

Last updated March 20, 2019

Château La Tour Haut-Brion was a Bordeaux wine estate from the Pessac-Léognan appellation within Graves, and was ranked as a Cru Classé for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. It was located in close vicinity of the city of Bordeaux, in the commune of Talence, adjoining Château La Mission Haut-Brion.

Bordeaux wine Wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France

A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France. Bordeaux is centered on the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde and covering the whole area of the Gironde department,with a total vineyard area of over 120,000 hectares, making it the largest wine growing area in France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world. The vast majority of wine produced in Bordeaux is red, with sweet white wines, dry whites, and rosé and sparkling wines collectively making up the remainder. Bordeaux wine is made by more than 8,500 producers or châteaux. There are 54 appellations of Bordeaux wine.

Pessac-Léognan is a wine growing area and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, in the northern part of the Graves region of Bordeaux. Unlike most Bordeaux appellations, Pessac-Léognan is equally famous for both red and (dry) white wines, although red wine is still predominant. It includes the only red-wine producer outside the Haut-Médoc classified in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, the premier cru Château Haut-Brion, and also includes all of the châteaux listed in the 1953/59 classification of Graves. These classed growths account for a third of the wine produced in Pessac-Léognan.

The appellation d'origine contrôlée is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut national des appellations d'origine, now called Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO). It is based on the concept of terroir.

Domaine Clarence Dillon owns, within a family company, some of the most worldwide prestigious estates: Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Château Quintus and Clarendelle. Since 2015, Domaine Clarence Dillon also has a Parisian residence, a true embassy of this French art de vivre so prized by Prince Robert de Luxembourg, representative of the fourth generation of the family. It houses the two-star gourmet restaurant « Le Clarence » and « La Cave du Château », a boutique of Fine wines and spirits from the greatest French terroirs.

History

Vines were first laid into the ground by the Rostaing family in the 16th century, when the estate was called La Tour de Rostaing, or La Tour d'Esquivens, who also cultivated the vineyards of Arrejedhuys, which became La Mission Haut-Brion. At the onset of the French Revolution the estate belonged to the Saige family. Despite the execution of the estate's heir, his mother the widow Saige refused to evacuate the château, and expropriation of the estate was avoided.

The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France and its colonies beginning in 1789. The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, catalyzed violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon who brought many of its principles to areas he conquered in Western Europe and beyond. Inspired by liberal and radical ideas, the Revolution profoundly altered the course of modern history, triggering the global decline of absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and liberal democracies. Through the Revolutionary Wars, it unleashed a wave of global conflicts that extended from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human history.

Not until the 19th century did the owners at the time, the Cayrou brothers, add the name of 'Haut-Brion'. Records show that by the 1850 Féret , the full name of La Tour Haut-Brion was acknowledged.^[1]

It was acquired by Louis Uzac in 1858 who made restorations and several modernising changes, and in 1890 it was sold to Victor Coustau. After Coustau's death in 1924, the Woltner family, proprietors of neighbouring vineyards Château la Mission Haut-Brion and Château Laville Haut-Brion, ran the wine production for the widow Coustau, and after her death in 1935 she left them the estate in her will.

Château Laville Haut-Brion was a Bordeaux dry white wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, which was ranked among the Crus Classés in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953. The estate is located in close vicinity of the city of Bordeaux, in the commune of Talence.

The brothers Fernand and Henri Woltner were known for innovative methods, and the latter was described as a "wine-making genius".^[2] In the 1953 classification of Graves, Château La Tour Haut-Brion was rated a Cru Classé, and by the mid-1960s, the estate amassed 10 acres (4.0 ha) and produced 1,000 cases annually.^[3]

Following the death of the Woltner brothers in 1974, the property was under the administration of the Dewavrins, and it was suggested by David Peppercorn that they treated the estate as a second wine for La Mission.^[4] They eventually sold their estates in 1983 to the Dillon Family, owners of Château Haut-Brion since 1935, uniting four Haut-Brion chateaux under Domaine Clarence Dillon.^[5] Then caretaker Jean Delmas decided to again treat La Tour Haut-Brion as a separate distinct cru .^[4]

Discontinuation

In April 2007 however, Domaine Clarence Dillon announced that beginning with the 2006 vintage, the grapes from the La Tour Haut-Brion vineyards would be blended into La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion, the second wine of La Mission Haut-Brion, and as the vines become older, potentially used for the grand vin of La Mission.^[1] The decision effectively made 2005 the final vintage of La Tour Haut-Brion, and rendered one of Domaine Clarence Dillon's oldest estates defunct.

Production

The vineyard area extended nearly 5 hectares (12 acres) with the grape variety distribution of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 35% Cabernet Franc. La Tour Haut-Brion annually produced on average 2,000 to 2,500 cases (180 to 220 hL) during its final period as a distinct estate.^[1]

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 3 Kakaviatos, Panos, Decanter (2004-04-07). "Haut Brion drops La Tour".
↑ Johnson, Hugh (1971). The World Atlas of Wine. London: Mitchell Beazley. p. 86. ISBN 0-85533-002-3.
↑ Lichine, Alexis (1967). Alexis Lichine's Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits. London: Cassell & Company Ltd. p. 315.
1 2 Peppercorn, David (2003). Bordeaux. London: Mitchell Beazley. pp. 349–350. ISBN 1-84000-927-6.
↑ Barnes, Laura, Caterer (2007-01-01). "Premier Chateau". itp.net.

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[deca-drop-1] 1 2 3 Kakaviatos, Panos, Decanter (2004-04-07). "Haut Brion drops La Tour".

[HJ-atlas-2] Johnson, Hugh (1971). The World Atlas of Wine. London: Mitchell Beazley. p. 86. ISBN 0-85533-002-3.

[ALE-3] Lichine, Alexis (1967). Alexis Lichine's Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits. London: Cassell & Company Ltd. p. 315.

[BDP-4] 1 2 Peppercorn, David (2003). Bordeaux. London: Mitchell Beazley. pp. 349–350. ISBN 1-84000-927-6.

[caterer-5] Barnes, Laura, Caterer (2007-01-01). "Premier Chateau". itp.net.