Château La Mission Haut-Brion Cru Classé de Graves*

HISTORY:

The history of Château La Mission Haut-Brion originates with a group known as the ‘Congregation of the Mission’ that acquired the estate in 1664 via the descendants of Madame de Lestonnac. The Fathers of this congregation, founded in the 17th century by Saint Vincent de Paul, proved themselves to be experts in selecting the appropriate varieties for this unique terroir. For over 130 years, wines were produced that were acknowledged worldwide to be some of the best in Bordeaux. The French nobleman Marshal de Richelieu was one such admirer, once quoted as saying, "If God forbade drinking, would he have made such good wine?"

This period of prosperity came to an abrupt end with the arrival of the French Revolution – the monks were dispossessed and the estate subsequently auctioned off. It was not until 1919, when the property was acquired by Frederic Woltner that the wines began to regain their proper place alongside the First Growths. As a pioneer in the usage of glass-lined fermentation tanks, which he installed in 1926, Woltner’s practical implementation of innovative winemaking technologies helped propel the estate into the modern era.

GRAPE VARIETIES: 

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon

SKU: 

A1024

TOP VINTAGES PRODUCED:

1929, 1947, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009