La Tour Haut-Brion La Tour Haut-Brion 1998, Pessac-Léognan

Country: France. Region: Bordeaux. Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc. Vintage: 1998. Bottle size: 75cl. Closure: Cork. Although the illustrious estate of Château La Mission Haut-Brion is situated directly opposite Château Haut-Brion, no historic link exists between the two estates. Both are now owned by the American Dillon family and, since their ownership, the estate has produced a remarkable improvement in both the vineyards and winemaking facilities. Covering 21 hectares of chalk soils in the northern part of the Graves commune, the vineyards are meticulously cared for and harvested, and although the resulting wines are perhaps not among the best known, those who savour them consider them amongst the finest in Bordeaux. Historically the second wine of the estate was called La Tour Haut-Brion, however this changed in 1983 with the acquisition of the estate by the Dillon family. Under the guidance of winemaker Jean Delmas, the wine was transformed to a lighter, suppler style. In 2005 the Dillon family made the decision to stop making this wine and use the grapes for their second wine La Mission Haut-Brion. As a result the La Tour Haut-Brion wines are highly sought after and a rarity to find.