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Wine Description
The Story
Laville Haut-Brion is arguably the greatest dry white wine in Bordeaux.
Only 1,000 cases per year are produced from a tiny and exclusive 3.7 hectare vineyard with an average vine age of over 50 years. It is a blend of 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc - the grapes are barrel-fermented and the wine is matured in 100% new oak barriques for 15-18 months before being bottled.
Aromatically complex on the nose and almost lusciously rich on the palate, with strong mineral overtones, and with a finish to die for. The wine demands extended cellaring and should rarely be approached before its 10th birthday. Laville-Haut-Brion is classified as a Graves Cru Classé.
Wine Information
In years when Bordeaux winegrowers face adverse weather conditions, they usually speak of a millésime de vigneron, meaning that only the most perspicacious, courageous and committed professionals will be able to produce quality wine.
This was the case in 2008, where a rainy and cool spring impeded vine growth and meant a late start for blossoms. In addition, a relatively cold and slightly moist August slowed the ripening of grapes. With the harvest period beginning about ten days after the date selected the previous year, 2008 was therefore a rather late vintage.
In such a case, the behavior of the vine depends on the quality of the soil in which
it is planted, but also to a great extent on the winegrower’s expertise and the hours
of labor expended by personnel in the vineyard, before the harvest.
As these two conditions for success were present at both of Domaine Clarence Dillon’s properties, 2008 proved an exceptional year for the quality of our white wines and a very good year for our red wines, similar to the 1988 vintage in style and to the 2004 in structure.