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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
La Mission Haut Brion is situated in Bordeaux' southern suburb, Talence. From 1919 and until 1983, it was Woltner family, who had owned this property. Under Woltner's reign, La Mission Haut Brion experienced one of its greatest period with string of fine vintages and was considered then as fully on the level with First Growths and sometimes even better than these. In 1983, owners of Haut Brion purchased La Mission Haut Brion and today its Jean Philippe Delmas, who's responsible for this property.
La Mission-Haut-Brion's vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon 48%, Merlot 45%, Cabernet Franc 7%) lie on a large (up to 18 metres deep in places) gravel bank interspersed with clay. The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats and then matured in oak barriques (100% new) for 18 months. The wines of La Mission Haut Brion are rich, oaky and powerful and need at least 10 years of bottle ageing before they should be broached.
Wine Information
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
In the 17th century, Madame de Lestonnac bequeathed the domain of La Mission Haut-Brion to the Pères Lazaristes, a congregation founded by Saint-Vincent de Paul. The Good Fathers, all through the 18th century, worked to restore their property to its rightful worth. Father Simon, head of the Bordeaux chapter had a passion for La Mission which, thanks to his efforts, became well-known and sought after. It graced the tables of such eminent personalities as were the Archbishop of Bordeaux and the Maréchal de Richelieu, also Governor of Guyenne. In the 19th century, a family called Chiapella, originally from New Orleans, took over the task of the Lazaristes. The Chiapellas, being ship owners, developed a new and important market for their wine throughout the New World.
Around 1920 Frédéric Woltner and his family became owners of La Mission. The Woltners were impassioned vintners imbued with a desire to continually improve their product. They remained owners for most of the twentieth century and are largely responsible for the eminent position held by La Mission in the eyes of the world today.
On the 2nd of November 1983, Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A., already owner of Château Haut-Brion, bought Château La Mission Haut-Brion from the descendants of the Woltner family.
La Mission Haut-Brion is now one of the jewels of the estates : the Dillon family totally renovated the château and added state-of-the-art winemaking facilities.
Today, a new generation watches over the destiny of the estate. Prince Robert of Luxembourg, together with his mother, the Duchesse de Mouchy, President, oversees the management of the properties belonging to Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A.
Vineyard soil: gravel with a subsoil of clay and sand
Production area: 21 ha
Grape varieties: Merlot 45%, Cabernet Franc 7%, Cabernet Sauvignon 48%
Average age of vines: 27 years
Harvest method: by hand with the sorting out on trailers
Winemaking: computer controlled pumping-overs and thermoregulation according to the temperatures of the must and the marc
Ageing: 18-22 months in 80% new barrels
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Pessac
France
Tel. + 33 5 5600 2930
Fax + 33 5 5698 7514
Vuosikerta 1914
Bordeaux: Harvest from September 24th a few months after World War I began. Quality nudged up this year, but initial high hopes for a brilliant vintage did not prove correct. Harvest month was also the moment when the government moved from Paris down to Bordeaux as German troops approached the French capital. They stayed for four months. In Pauillac the Rothschild families of Mouton and Lafite opened a hospital and provided barrels of wine for the patients and staff. At Pontet Canet, wives and families of soldiers who had been sent to fight were given 1 franc per day.
