(...) noble and the most constant of its appellation, with a capacity of aging out-of-common… In the sixteenth century, Jean de Pontac, from a family of wines’ traders, founded the field Haut-Brion. He decided to base it around the property, he has received as a dowry, from his wife, which was located on the place called “Haut-Brion”. He built the castle, which has to be used for the vineyard. His descendants, Arnaud III and Francois-Auguste de Pontac, contributed to develop the famous wine and its export in Europe. François-Auguste de Pontac also opened a tavern called "L’Enseigne de Pontac", in London, which allowed Haut-Brion to increase its notoriety and to be recognized as one of the best wines of France. The Fumel family then succeeded to the Pontacs at the head of Haut-Brion. The Fumel family participated actively in the expansion and beautification of the castle. Unfortunately, the French Revolution was a difficult period for this family and Mr Talleyrand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Napoleon, became owner of the domain in 1801. Then the family Larrieu led the field. Thanks to the work of the Larrieus, the wine of Haut-Brion was ranked as "Premier Grand Cru Classé", at the 1855 classification. It is the only wine of Graves in this classification, where château Haut-Brion has stayed alongside the famous Latour, Lafite Rothschild and Margaux (Mouton Rothschild also since 1973) (The château Haut-Brion was also recognized as “Grand Cru Classé” of Graves in 1953). Despite a modernization of winemaking’s techniques, the château Haut-Brion was unable to avoid the damages, caused by powdery mildew, downy mildew and phylloxera. That’s why, the end of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century represent, for Haut-Brion, a period of reconstruction and replanting. André Gibert was then the owner at the beginning of the twentieth century, and sold it, in 1935, to Clarence Dillon. Today, the Dillon family is still at the head of the château Haut-Brion. The Domaine Clarence Dillon brings together various castles of the appellation Pessac-Léognan, all located on the place called, Haut-Brion: château Haut-Brion, château La Mission Haut-Brion, château Laville Haut-Brion and château La Tour Haut-Brion. The Great Wine of château Haut-Brion meets all the criteria to produce a wine out-this world, which allow it to be consistent and extraordinary, even in difficult years. Smooth and suave; natural and harmonious, balanced and solid, it is a wine with infinite gentleness, which takes you from the first aroma, simply, elsewhere… The château Haut-Brion produces, today, in addition to its great wine, a white Haut-Brion, in appellation Pessac-Léognan. This white wine is exceptional, combining aromas of sweet wines and a unique freshness, together in a dry white wine. This land and the land of the château Laville Haut-Brion are used for the production of a second white wine, Les Plantiers Haut-Brion. It is produced from semillon and sauvignon. It is a dry white wine with, also aromas of sweet wines. Its production is very limited, mainly reserved for great French restaurants. The Bahans Haut-Brion is the second wine of château Haut-Brion, in red; and it comes from the same vines of the “grand cru classé”. Accessible much younger than the Great Wine, it is nonetheless exceptional…
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