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Wine Description
The Story
Château Haut-Brion is the oldest and by far the smallest of the "Premiers Grands Crus" vineyards of the Gironde 1855 classification. Château Haut-Brion is one of the few remaining family-owned domains of the Bordeaux region with a history going back to the 16th century. It has been owned by the American Dillon family since 1935.
There is an amazing dual hit of black fruit and fine-grained tannins here, which is rounded off with a wonderful creaminess. The fruit is encased in a huge structure, which is not always easy to assess when tasting en primeur, but it has a lovely fleshiness to it and the wine is multi-layered with flavours evolving in the mouth. Notes of cocoa, vanilla and tar show towards the finish and it all ends completely seamlessly. The tannins are extremely ripe and well-integrated. Ch. Haut-Brion is often understated at this stage, which serves to underline how fine this wine will be.
Château Haut-Brion Thomas Jefferson, the american ambassador to Paris and later President of the United States of America, visited Haut Brion on May 25th 1787 commenting in his journals about the soils of the vineyards as well as mentioning that there were four vineyards of first quality Château Margaux, Château Latour Ségur, Château Haut Brion and Château La Fite. He also wrote:"Haut Brion is a wine of the first rank and seems to please the American palate more than all the others that I have been able to taste in France.“ Jean de Pontac began constituting the Haut-Brion vineyard, in the Graves region, in 1525.
His descendants went on to produce "New French Claret," the precursor of today's great wines. Their efforts enabled Arnaud III de Pontac to sell his wine under the estate's name as early as 1660. Called “vin de Pontac”, then Haut-Brion, it gained a fine reputation and enormous success in London. The first of the Bordeaux great growths was born. Through the centuries, the owners and managers of Haut-Brion have been obsessed with perpetuating the château's reputation for quality. Classified a First Growth in 1855, Haut-Brion has done everything possible ever since then to maintain its standing. To perpetuate its Grand Cru status, an estate and its constituent parts have to be maintained over the centuries, suitable grape varieties for each plot have to be chosen, and a relentless selection process carried out. Today, a great American family, the Dillons, has been continuing this tradition for seventy years.
Vintage 1957
Bordeaux: The weather conditions in Bordeaux during the 1957 growing season were mixed. The year began with a cold winter and a late spring, which delayed budbreak and flowering. While the summer months were relatively warm and dry, they were also marked by periods of rainfall. This inconsistent weather had a significant impact on grape ripening and overall quality.
Bordeaux 1957 Reds: The red wines of Bordeaux from the 1957 vintage are often considered to be of moderate quality. The wines typically display a ruby-red color with some showing signs of aging, such as a slight brick or garnet rim. On the nose, they offer aromas of red berries, dried herbs, and hints of tobacco and cedar.
In the mouth, the 1957 Bordeaux reds are characterized by their medium body and relatively mild tannins. The acidity is generally balanced, but the wines lack the depth and concentration that are found in exceptional Bordeaux vintages. While some wines from this vintage have aged gracefully, others may have reached or passed their peak, making it important to choose bottles carefully.
Bordeaux 1957 Whites: The white wines of Bordeaux from the 1957 vintage also produced mixed results. The wines typically have a pale to medium gold color with aromas of citrus, green apple, and a touch of honey. While they may lack the complexity and depth of some other vintages, the best examples have retained their freshness and vibrancy over the years.
Overall Impressions: The Bordeaux 1957 vintage is generally regarded as a moderate vintage in terms of quality. While it may not have reached the heights of some of the region's legendary years, it still produced wines that can offer enjoyable drinking experiences, especially when carefully selected bottles from reputable producers are chosen.