Château La Tour Haut-Brion
Encyclopedia
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
.
The estate's final vintage was 2005 after the owners Domaine Clarence Dillon
decided to discontinue the label. Since then, the fruit from La Tour Haut-Brion has been used in the production of Château La Mission Haut-Brion.
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.
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.
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 vineards 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.
The brothers Fernand and Henri Woltner were known for innovative methods, and the latter was described as a "wine-making genius". 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 ha) and produced 1,000 cases annually.
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. 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. Then caretaker Jean Delmas decided to again treat La Tour Haut-Brion as a separate distinct cru
.
become older, potentially used for the grand vin of La Mission. The decision effectively made 2005 the final vintage of La Tour Haut-Brion, and rendered one of Domaine Clarence Dillon's oldest estates defunct.
, 23% Merlot
, and 35% Cabernet Franc
. La Tour Haut-Brion annually produced on average 2000 winecase during its final period as a distinct estate.
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of 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...
estate from the Pessac-Léognan
Pessac-Léognan
Pessac-Léognan is a French wine appellation, within the Graves subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Both red and white wine is produced within the appellation, which consists of 10 communes: Cadaujac, Canéjan, Gradignan, Léognan, Martillac, Mérignac, Pessac, Saint-Médard-d'Eyrans, Talence and...
appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", 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...
within Graves
Graves
Graves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over...
, and was ranked as a Cru Classé for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine
Classification of Graves wine
The wines of Graves in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified in 1953 by a jury appointed by Institute Nacional des Appellations d'Origine, and approved by the Minister of Agriculture in August of that year. The selection was revised with a few additions in February 1959...
of 1953 and 1959. It was located in close vicinity of the city of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, in the commune of Talence
Talence
Talence is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the south side...
, adjoining Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Château la Mission Haut-Brion is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, classed among the Grand Crus in the Graves classification of 1953...
.
The estate's final vintage was 2005 after the owners Domaine Clarence Dillon
Clarence Dillon
Clarence Dillon, , was an American financier, and namesake of Dillon, Read & Co., an investment bank.-Background:...
decided to discontinue the label. Since then, the fruit from La Tour Haut-Brion has been used in the production of Château La Mission Haut-Brion.
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 RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
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.
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.
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 vineards Château la Mission Haut-Brion and Château Laville Haut-Brion
Château Laville Haut-Brion
Château Laville Haut-Brion was a Bordeaux dry white wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, which was ranked among the Premiers Crus in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953...
, ran the wine production for the widow Coustau, and after her death in 1935 she left them the estate in her will.
The brothers Fernand and Henri Woltner were known for innovative methods, and the latter was described as a "wine-making genius". 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 ha) and produced 1,000 cases annually.
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
David Peppercorn
David Peppercorn is a British Master of Wine, French wine importer and author, known for his books about the wines of Bordeaux and long experience in his field, having collected tasting notes since the late 1950s. He is married to fellow MW and wine writer Serena Sutcliffe. They were the first...
that they treated the estate as a second wine
Second wine
Second wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
for La Mission. They eventually sold their estates in 1983 to the Dillon Family, owners of Château Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion is a French wine, rated a Premier Cru Classé , produced in the Gironde region. It differs from the other wines on the list in its geographic location in the north of the wine-growing region of Graves...
since 1935, uniting four Haut-Brion chateaux under Domaine Clarence Dillon. Then caretaker Jean Delmas decided to again treat La Tour Haut-Brion as a separate distinct cru
Cru (wine)
Cru is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croitre" . As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity ....
.
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 vinesVitis
Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce...
become older, potentially used for the grand vin of La Mission. 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 (12.4 acre) with the grape variety distribution of 42% Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, 23% Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, and 35% Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
. La Tour Haut-Brion annually produced on average 2000 winecase during its final period as a distinct estate.