France · Pessac-Léognan

Château Haut-Brion

Château Haut-Brion is the only non-Médoc estate included in the 1855 Classification as a First Growth — a reflection of its unique historical significance as the oldest continuously documented fine wine estate in Bordeaux, known by name in London wine merchants' records since 1663. The estate sits within the Pessac-Léognan appellation, now surrounded by the suburbs of Bordeaux city on 51 hectares of deep gravel over clay and sandstone. This urban setting creates a unique microclimate: the city's heat island effect gives Haut-Brion's vineyards among the warmest temperatures in the Bordeaux area, enabling full ripeness even in cool vintages. The Dillon family (through Clarence Dillon) purchased the estate in 1935 and has maintained it since; the current director is Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Clarence Dillon's great-great-grandson. Haut-Brion produces both red (the First Growth, typically 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc) and a tiny quantity of white — Haut-Brion Blanc — from 2.7 hectares of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The white is among the most expensive and most contested white Bordeaux at auction, with annual production of just 700–800 cases. The estate also owns La Mission Haut-Brion, the neighbouring property acquired in 1983, which produces a separate grand vin considered by many critics to rival Haut-Brion itself in great vintages.