Pessac

The Château Haut-Brion vineyard is located in the municipality of Pessac, south-west of Bordeaux in France. It belongs to the Pessac-Léognan appellation in the northern part of the wine-growing region of Graves. Pessac-Léognan is a controlled designation of origin for still red and white wines.

The vineyard extends across a gravel terrace, overlooked by two small hills and bordered by small watercourses. The gravel deposits form elevations with sloping areas that ensure natural drainage. The soils contain various small quartz pebbles. Beneath these lie clay, sand, limestone and shell sand from the Tertiary and Quaternary; the gravel layer is about 20 centimetres to more than 3 metres thick.

The vineyard comprises around 51 hectares, of which about 48 hectares are planted with red and 3 hectares with white grape varieties. The red plantings consist of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and the whites of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. In winter, a spontaneous cover crop remains in place, while the depth and frequency of mechanical cultivation of the soil are limited. Compost produced on the estate is used on a parcel-by-parcel basis; in addition, no insecticides are used and woody plants as well as the vineyard surroundings are maintained to support biodiversity.

Château Haut-Brion Rouge is described as a red wine with a mineral character, complex aromas and a long finish. The documented vintage cuvées 1995, 2003, 2006 and 2015 contain Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in varying proportions. The grapes are hand-harvested after ripeness, then sorted and destemmed. Fermentation takes place with temperature control; before the final cuvée is presented at the primeur tastings, parcels and grape varieties are blended. The first written mention of a wine explicitly associated with the Haut-Brion terroir dates from 1521. Château Haut-Brion is classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification and as a Cru Classé de Graves.