Historically Haut Brion and La Mission have been connected since 1540 when the Bordeaux merchant Arnaud de Lestonnac purchased a plot known as Arregeduys, the starting point for La Mission Haut Brion.At the same year he married the sister of Jean de Pontac, the founder of Chateau Haut Brion.Aware of the potential of the Graves terroir thanks to his relationship with the Pontacs, Arnaud de Lestonnac expanded the vineyard and started growing his own wine. After passing away the estate was left to his son Pierre, who built a house and a cellar at the property. Olive de Lestonnac inherited the property from her father Pierre, and after a lifetime of devotion and charity, without having any children, she left the estate to the Congregation of the Mission, commonly called Lazarists. Under ownership of the catholic church, only 10 hectares of vines where planted, and a small chapel was built in the vineyards.Only in 1713 a Chateau was built on the property, and the estate remained under the church ownership until the French revolution in 1792 when it was confiscated and sold at a public auction to a Bordeaux businessman, Martial Victor Vaillant. In 1821 the estate was sold to Celestin Coudrin Chiapella, born in New Orleans he was the adopted son of a rich Genovese merchant. Under the management of Celestin Chiapella the quality of the wine increased dramatically and enjoyed a wonderful reputation internationally. The estate change hands again in 1884 when Celestin Chiapella sells to Etablissements Duval de Paris who administer for a little more than 3 decades until its sold again to Frederic Otto Woltner who renovated the cellar and started to produce a white wine for the first time. Finally in 1983 the estate was purchased by Domaine Clarence Dillon, the owners of the neighbor, Chateau Haut Brion, who replanted the vineyards and renovated the property. Located in Pessac Leognan, Chateau La Mission Haut Brion curiously was not included in the 1855 Classification for being outside the Medoc. They currently farm 30.7 hectares of vineyards with 27 hectares planted with red grapes and 3.7 hectares of white grapes.The vineyards are planted in deep gravel over clay and sand, over the limestone subsoil. The vines have 37 years of age in average, and the vineyards are located between 2 streams that help to regulate the temperature in dry or hot vintages. The Chateau produces 4 wines, 2 grand vin red and white, a second red wine La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion, and a second white wine La Clarte Haut Brion, which is produced together with Chateau Haut Brion.It's important to note that Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc had its debut on 2009 vintage, and it was previously labeled as Laville Haut Brion.
Related
Related
Related
Related