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Chateau Laville Haut-Brion

Although today the wines of Laville Haut-Brion are inextricably linked to those of La Mission Haut-Brion, as the estates are under the same ownership, the two have quite distinct stories to tell. That of Laville Haut-Brion begins in at least the 17th Century, when the estate was acquired by Marie de Laville, the wealthy widow of a Bordeaux magistrate, Sir de Queyrac. She and her descendants held ownership of the propety for a century; ten years after the purchase it passed to Marie's brother, Bertrand, and it passed from him to his son, Arnaud, and then to his daugther, Marguerite. It then came to her niece, Hélaine, who like her ancestor was also wedded to a local magistrate. In 1717 the family gave up their tenure here, and the property was purchased by a surgeon, Bernard Gaussens, but the family had left their mark on the estate; it would forever be Laville Haut-Brion.

In the era that followed Laville Haut-Brion was bought and sold numerous times, eventually coming to Pierre-David Bouscasse in 1825. His descendants held onto the estate until 1912, when it was acquired by a Bordeaux merchant Frédéric-Otto Woltner, a name that is familiar from my account of La Mission Haut-Brion. He already owned both La Mission- and La Tour Haut-Brion, and thus he is the linchpin that brought these three famous estates together. There was, of course, further consolidation to come; in 1983 the Woltner family sold their properties to Domaine Clarence Dillon, owner of Chateau Haut-Brion. Today this conglomerate of domaines remains with the Dillon family, in the shape of Joan Dillon, Duchesse de Mouchy, a granddaughter of Clarence, with considerably support from her family. A name perhaps more readily associated with the estate, however, is manager Jean-Bernard Delmas, a towering figurehead for the Haut-Brion domaines; at his feet lies much of the responsibility for the modern reputations of these estates. Today he is succeeded by his son, Jean-Philippe.

The Laville vineyard abuts that of La Mission-Haut-Brion, a 3.5 hectare plot of gravelly clay soils laying over a bedrock of chalky sand. It was established only in 1923, when the white varieties were planted; this decision reflects the increased presence of clay and less gravel in this section of the vineyard, making the terroir less suitable for the red varieties. The vines, which possess an average age of 50 years, are 70% Semillon, 27% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Muscadelle. They are planted on 420 A and 3309 rootstock at a density of 10000 vines/ha, and are trained in the typical Guyot method. After a manual harvest with sorting on tables out in the vineyards, the wine is fermented in new oak barrels, rather than vats, regulated to a temperature of 20ºC. In these barrels the wine rests on the lees for typically about 15 months, although anywhere between 13 and 18 months is possible. Thereafter it sees an egg white fining prior to bottling. The grand vin which results is Chateau Laville Haut-Brion (although there is no chateau per se here - although there are at La Mission and La Tour), of which there are approximately 1000 cases per annum, a paltry production figure which goes some way to explaining why my experience with the wines is so limited. There is no second wine produced.

Although the first vintage of Laville Haut-Brion was the 1928, my experiences with the wine are much more recent, and they are sparse. They are documented below; you do not need any fingers to tally up my tasting notes, only your thumbs. Nevertheless, even looking at just these two examples the quality is evident, particularly in the 2004 which is perhaps an under-rated vintage for the region. The 2003 displays the tell-tale structure of the vintage; not even this domaine is immune from such extreme weather conditions, it seems. I would expect the 2004 to age beautifully, and I expect this is true of many vintages; what reports I have seen on wines from the 1970s and 1980s would indeed support this assertion. (27/3/08)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau Laville Haut-Brion, Route de Cadaujac, 33850 Léognan
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 64 75 11
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 64 53 60
Internet: www.haut-brion.com

Chateau Laville Haut-Brion - Tasting Notes

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Chateau Laville Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan) 2008: This is 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc. Amazingly fresh on the nose, limpid, the pears and apples, capsicums and cream, and even a little honeydew melon. The palate has great acidity at the start, leading to a nice, rounded substance in the middle. This is quite rich, stylish, with primary green fruit flavour. Broad, with fresh acidity, and a firm acid finish. Excellent wine. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17.5-18.5+/20 (April 2009)

Chateau Laville Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan) 2007: Alcohol 13.6%. There is a trace of oak-fermentation on the nose, which dominates the quiet fruit, 83% Semillon and 17% Sauvignon Blanc, at present. There are some attractive primary aromas though, notes of leaf and yellow plum. The palate is fresh, with good acidity; it is supple but it has some substance too. The palate does not display the oak so predominantly, showing a mineral fruit character instead, in a vibrant, lively style. This barrel sample seems superior to the 2003 and 2004 I tasted a few months ago; I hope that comes through when finally bottled. Volumes will be smaller than usual this year; less than 500 cases. From my 2007 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (April 2008)

Chateau Laville Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan) 2004: Semillon 83%, Sauvignon Blanc 17%. An interesting nose here, starting off slightly volatile, slightly medicinal, and still showing some oak. It possesses an attractively rounded weight on the palate, with a nicely balanced poise. Fresh pear fruit, very stylish in character, and beautifully firm. Pithy but elegant and very admirable. Excellent potential here. 17.5+/20 (November 2007)

Chateau Laville Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan) 2003: Semillon 88%, Sauvignon Blanc 12%. A pale hue. The nose carries aromas of oak, smoke and pears. Full and rounded, rather soft acidity despite acidification in this heatwave vintage, full, a touch grippy, with a creamy texture. Despite the subtle cushion of acidity it does have a rather firm backbone, and it certainly has an exuberant character, showing lots of flavour and substance. But the acidity is just not sufficient for me to rate this very highly. Overall though, good. 16/20 (November 2007)