Château Laville Haut-Brion
Encyclopedia
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. The estate is located in close vicinity of the city of Bordeaux
, in the commune of Talence
.
Since 2009, the fruit from Laville Haut-Brion has been used in the production of Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc
.
. His sons Fernand and Henri Woltner were innovative vintners and produced a dry white wine considered the best in Graves, among the reasons behind the latter's reputation as a "wine-making genius". Henri Woltner described the wine as able to be drunk after five years, but seldom at its best before ten years. Its slow-maturing characteristics have been compared to the best of white Burgundies, and the richness akin to a fine Montrachet
.
In the 1953 classification of Graves, Château Laville Haut-Brion was rated a Premier Cru as the only of the classed chateaux to be exclusive producers of white wine, and by the mid-1960s, the estate amassed 4 hectares (9.9 acre) and produced 2,400 cases annually.
Following the death of the Woltner brothers in 1974, the production was managed by Françoise Woltner and Francis DeWavrin until the family 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
. Managed by Jean-Bernard Delmas the reputation of the estate was preserved, and he was succeeded by his son Jean-Philippe Delmas.
27% Sauvignon blanc
and 3% Muscadelle
. Of the grand vin Château Laville Haut-Brion there was annually produced an average 1000 winecase of dry white wine.
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...
dry white wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
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...
, which was ranked among the Premiers Crus 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. The estate is 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...
.
Since 2009, the fruit from Laville Haut-Brion has been used in the production of Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc
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...
.
History
Originally acquired in 1611 by Marie de Laville, widow of Sir de Queyrac, the estate remained in the family for over a hundred years, until it was sold in 1717 to Bernard Gaussens. The winery changed ownership several times until 1931 when Leopold Bibonne sold the property to the Frédéric-Otto Woltner, owner of neighbouring estates Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Château La Tour Haut-BrionChâteau La Tour Haut-Brion
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...
. His sons Fernand and Henri Woltner were innovative vintners and produced a dry white wine considered the best in Graves, among the reasons behind the latter's reputation as a "wine-making genius". Henri Woltner described the wine as able to be drunk after five years, but seldom at its best before ten years. Its slow-maturing characteristics have been compared to the best of white Burgundies, and the richness akin to a fine Montrachet
Montrachet
Montrachet is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for white wine from Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy. It is situated across the border between the two communes of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet and produces what many consider to be the...
.
In the 1953 classification of Graves, Château Laville Haut-Brion was rated a Premier Cru as the only of the classed chateaux to be exclusive producers of white wine, and by the mid-1960s, the estate amassed 4 hectares (9.9 acre) and produced 2,400 cases annually.
Following the death of the Woltner brothers in 1974, the production was managed by Françoise Woltner and Francis DeWavrin until the family 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
Domaine Clarence Dillon
Domaine Clarence Dillon SAS is a French company that owns two Bordeauxwine estates, Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion. It was first founded on June 1, 1935...
. Managed by Jean-Bernard Delmas the reputation of the estate was preserved, and he was succeeded by his son Jean-Philippe Delmas.
Discontinuation
In March 2010 it was announced that wine would cease to be bottled under the name Château Laville Haut-Brion, and beginning with the 2009 vintage, the wine be labelled Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc.Production
During the final stage of the Laville Haut-Brion era, the vineyard area extended 3.5 hectares (8.6 acre) with a grape variety distribution of 70% SémillonSémillon
Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
27% Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
and 3% Muscadelle
Muscadelle
Muscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated....
. Of the grand vin Château Laville Haut-Brion there was annually produced an average 1000 winecase of dry white wine.