2024 Chateau Haut-Brion Rouge Pessac-Leognan Premium Grand Cru Classe 750 ml

Château Haut-Brion, in Pessac-Léognan, quite possibly invented fine wine as we know it today. The storied Bordeaux estate dates back to 1525, though the château itself wasn’t built until 1549. Founder Jean de Pontac lived 101 years, bearing witness to the reign of kings Louis XII through Henri III.

Arnaud de Pontac inherited the estate in 1649 and, realizing he made better wine than his neighbors, created the first “luxury wine” by doing something radical for the time: He introduced prolonged barrel aging, took control of distribution, and began charging twice as much.

As a result, Haut-Brion’s fame climbed to dizzying heights, catching the attention of diarist Samuel Pepys. Pepys was the Robert Parker of his day, and he wrote what’s considered the world’s first professional wine review—a glowing account of Haut-Brion. From there, Haut-Brion entranced English philosopher John Locke, German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, whose eye for exceptional farming practices did not miss Haut-Brion’s distinctive soils when he visited in 1787.

Walking the vineyards, Haut-Brion’s terroir comes alive in the sandy-gravel soils that so impressed Jefferson. The slight slope to the hill provides ideal drainage and sunlight exposure for the 80-year-old vines, which in turn produce the sacred berries that make the château’s Premier Grand Cru Classé just what it is—vinified perfection.