Château Haut-Brion is the oldest of the great Bordeaux estates and the only First Growth from outside the Médoc. Its home is Graves, now Pessac-Léognan, on the southern edge of the city, where deep gravel gives a red of rare depth and a white counted among the finest in France.
A First Growth with four centuries of history
Haut-Brion was famous long before the classifications arrived. Samuel Pepys drank "Ho Bryan" in a London tavern in 1663 and noted its "good and most particular taste", the earliest mention of a named claret anywhere. That reputation carried the estate into the 1855 Classification as a First Growth, the sole one drawn from Graves rather than the Médoc. The American banker Clarence Dillon bought the property in 1935, and the Dillon family, now through Domaine Clarence Dillon, has owned it ever since. For the wider region, see our Bordeaux range.
The style: earthy, smoky reds and a rare white
The grand vin is a near equal blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, filled out with Cabernet Franc and a little Petit Verdot. Its signature is unmistakable: cassis and cedar wrapped in tobacco, truffle, smoke and the warm "hot bricks" note tasters always reach for. The second wine, Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, offers the same character sooner and for less. Rarest of all is Haut-Brion Blanc, a tiny production of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc with the texture and length to age for decades. See more classic Left Bank styles in our red wine selection.
Haut-Brion FAQ
Why is Haut-Brion a First Growth if it is not in the Médoc?
Its reputation was already so high by 1855 that the brokers ranked it alongside Lafite, Latour and Margaux, the only Graves estate to make the list of red First Growths.
Should I drink Haut-Brion young or cellar it?
Strong vintages reward twenty years or more in the cellar, though the perfumed, supple style can charm earlier than some Médoc peers. Le Clarence is the one to open sooner.
What food suits Haut-Brion?
The red loves roast lamb, beef and game, especially with mushrooms or truffle. Save the white for shellfish, poultry in cream and richer fish dishes.