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The Informed Investor
website:  www.ukinformedinvestor.co.uk 
e-mail : info@informedinvestor.co.uk
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The Language of the Label
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The Informed Investor began publishing from offices at 13 Nottingham Place, London, W1 ( See Picture Left) in 1972. It started as a printed publication for Drummond & Co offering Investments and Insurance. Long before today's regime in regards commissions Drummond & Co pioneered discount  selling of  Linked Insurance and Unit trusts- splitting the commissions with the purchaser. Many in the Industry condemned this and many leasing Insurance Groups refused to take their business. Most of those companies have gone out of business today & Drummond & Co are recognised as the Company that led the way. Today 38 years later Drummond & Co still lead the field in Financial Innovations and have advised both the public and professionals.
As Financial Commentators the Informed Investor have, over the years, Informed Investors about dangerous offers and Financial mis-doings sometimes years before the scandals broke.
This we continue to do through our many websites. In 2009 over 79 million visits were made to our pages and over 40 million so far in 2010.

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LATEST NEWS FROM BORDEAUX 
Now We Inform - Leading Wine Stories
from other on line sites
EUROPEAN DRINKS INDUSTRY IN TURMOIL
In the past twelve months, the European wine industry has llurched like the old drunk many New World producers see it as, from one indiscretion to the next and, with pitiful predictability, it ended this month in a mess. 

Tom Munro reports. 

http://just-drinks.com/features
_detail.asp?art=363

REPORT ON THE BURGUNDY FRAUD SCANDAL
Arnold Kirby also reports on how the Burgundy fraud scandal is rocking the world. Its influence has spread to French importers in the Cape, while the US authorities are also taking a keen interest. US officials, frustrated by French
bureaucracy, have called for an international effort to track the knock on effects of the Burgundy debacle. 

Read the full report:

http://just-drinks.com/news_
detail.asp?art=10007

THE WINE LIBRARY
I would like to introduce The Wine Library which is a unique concept of Wine Shop & Restaurant combined over two cellars near to Tower Hill in London where you can drink wine at shop prices with a £3.00 corkage charge & enjoy a fixed price buffet (£9.95) lunch of French cheese, pates, ham
salads and coffee . Hardens Restaurant Guide  says " A fabulous choice of excellent wines at off licence prices and a wonderful atmosphere underpin the success of these unusual City cellers"
So if you  find yourselves in London or work in the area go check it out for yourselves.
The Wine Library
43 Trinity Square
next to  Tower Hill Tube
London EC3 4DJ
Tel: 0207 481 0415
WINE ALLEY
I found your address on a site about wine, food and good living. I thought that you will be interested by the services that our site offers.

www.wine-alley.com is a virtual Club for all those interested in wine in
both a professional and personal capacity.We now have more than 4500 members, both amateur and in the trade who useour site to discuss wine, buy and sell it and tell us about the best sources. Club members use the Newsgroup of www.wine-alley.com to exchange
information and experiences.  Only the other day someone asked how much a certain rare wine was worth, I asked for more information about the grape variety, which doesn't grow in France. Currently there have been more than 770 questions and replies.
There is also the small ads. column.

Among the 16 adverts placed this week there have been some really good deals including a magnum of 1945 Pichon Lalande and a 1947 Cheval blanc! Let me make it clear - www.wine-alley.com itself does not sell or buy wine:we simply offer our members the facilites for making their own  arrangements. www.wine-alley.com is also a site supplying information in real time,
particularly the latest news from winegrowers and makers via the French Press Agency (AFP).  We also have a database of more than 21,000 wines with information supplied directly to the site by winegrowers co-operatives and specialist magazines. I should be delighted if you would come and join us.  At ww.wine-alley.com you will find similarly-minded people who just want to share their love of wine.  Kind regards

François Xavier Bodin, Manager of the Online Club
fx.bodin@winealley.com

Bordeaux tasting unveils finest vintage
The importance of vintage for even the finest of wines was highlighted
yesterday at a prestigious Latour tasting in London - and the
pre-event favourite came out top.
To see the story follow this link
http://www.decanter.com/
news/news
default.asp?newsstoryid=335

UK auctions: Italy and Bordeaux take centre stage
Two remarkable wine cellars were the focus at Christies' first auction
of 2001 on 25 January in London.
To see the story follow this link
http://www.decanter.com
/news/news
default.asp?newsstoryid=332

The World Market for Wine 
(Feb 2000) - 
700 pages of analysis providing the reader with a clear understanding 
of the structure of the global wine industry, in addition to assessing regional and national market sizes. All sectors are covered, with historical data back to 1994, 
and forecasts to 2003. Visit:

http://just-drinks.com/store/
products_detail.asp?art=11288


Feature of the week
The smoke warnings have been billowing from the tobacco industry for years.  But the problems of
how to market alcohol in the face of drink-driving, health and alcohol abuse  issues have not been solved. In the first of a series of articles on the subject Ben Cooper 
investigates the conflict between morality, health and the alcohol business. 

http://just-drinks.com/features
_detail.asp?art=380


Ramsay scoops third Michelin star
London chef Gordon Ramsay has achieved his dream - a third Michelin
star.
To see the story follow this link
http://www.decanter.com/news/
newsdefault.
asp?newsstoryid=325

TRIP TO BORDEAUX
I am writing to introduce the new Antique Wine Company website, and
to extend an opportunity for you to win an all-expenses-paid trip to taste
the first vintage of the twenty-first century in Bordeaux.

You can browse thousands of older vintages, and also check out our
unique birthdate vintage gift program - it's the ultimate holiday gift.

Just click here to go directly to the site - 
http://www.antique-wine.com
/bordeaux

Also, if you are a professional in the wine business then we would
be pleased to discuss our affiliate program to help you provide your
customers with older vintages from the world's most famous chateaux
and domaines.
Hope to see you in Bordeaux!

Laura Clarke
Marketing Manager
The Antique Wine Company



For more articles on drinks Try
http://just-drinks.com



join our community wine chats
Edited by Michael Davey 
Go-ahead for Bordeaux classification
The first-ever official classification of
the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc
has finally been approved.
To see the story follow this link
http://www.decanter.com
/news
/newsdefault.asp?
newsstoryid=342

WINE AUCTIONS 
A Letter We Have Received

We thought you might like to know that we have been running free wine auctions almost a year now!  We have the largest network of buyers and sellers (almost 9,000) and host hundreds of quality auctions at any given time.  Best of all, basic services are 100% free.

Registration is free and is secure.  At other websites, user IDs and e-mail addresses are not secure.  Anybody can steal your e-mail address and/or identity at other websites!  Register today and feel rest assured that nobody can start bidding or selling with your e-mail address!

Basic listings are 100% free.  We do not charge anything for any
transactions.  Our revenue comes from advertisers, which are kept to a minimum.  Charitable organizations are welcome to inquire about free ad
space.

If you have many items to list, we can assist you with bulk uploading
features not available at other sites.  Best part about our bulk upload feature is not having to download any complicated software!  Our bulk upload feature is 100% online.  Again, if you need any help with listing your items, we can assist you for FREE!

See you at the auctions!
Thank you and best regards from,
Brian McCaffrey
CellarExchange.com
Your FREE wine auction and cellar exchange network.

http://www.cellarexchange.com
Email:
info@cellarexchange.com

 New York Times incorporates WineToday.com
Wine website WineToday.com has been integrated into New York Times on the Web, the website of its parent company New York Times Digital.
To see the story follow this link
http://www.decanter.com/news
/news
default.asp?newsstoryid=328

 This section has been created as a noticeboard for all those interested in the fabulous wines from Bordeaux. Please direct your friends and colleagues to this site which can be opened on

www.ukinformedinvestor.co.uk

We mention you so please mention us on your websites

please click here to send us  a message.


Email to us at:
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The Top 100 Wines are here! 
And you can find the complete list -- including the Wine of the Year -- on Wine Spectator Online. 

This year our senior editors tasted more than 11,000 wines.  That's a lot of pulled corks.  But they've taken that list and whittled it down to the best of the best, the 100 wines they think you'll most want to add to your
cellar.  And at the top of the heap -- for the first time ever -- an Italian wine has been honored as Wine of the Year. 
Which wine is it?  We won't spoil the surprise -- to find out, visit Wine Spectator Online at 

http://www.winespectator.com/Top100 
 AC system 'damaging'
The French appellation controlee system was denounced as 'ridiculous' and damaging to the image of French wine at a London debate. To see the story follow this link
http://www.decanter.com/news/newsdefault.asp?newsstoryid=254
Buy  Vinny   Merchandise 
The Informed Investor has commissioned some very exquisite merchandise for those who identify with being involved or interested in wines. Our Vinny pictures have been admired for years. Identify yourself and your friends as knowledgeable in wines with  cooler bags, sun hats,tile coasters and hooded seatshirts.  These are limited editions. The perfect birthday or Xmas gift.
Just click on insignia or the Blue Line to go to the purchase site.
Just click on insignia or the Blue Line to go to the purchase site.
Click Here to purchase

CLICK FOR THE BORDEAUX MANAGED WINE INVESTMENT PLAN

WHAT DOES THE LABEL MEAN?

THE FAMOUS LABELS CRU CLASSE
One of the first five official growths of the Medoc, also any classed growth of another district of Bordeaux however classified. The Medoc classifications are as follows - all refer to the classification of 1855.
PREMIER CRU First Growth CRU BOURGEOIS The fourth rank - but often a very worthy wine - occasionally as good as most crus classes.
DEUXIEME CRU Second Growth CRU ARTISAN Rank below Cru Bourgeois. No longer used.
TROISIEME CRU Third Growth CRU PAYSAN Rank below Cru Artisan; no longer used
QUATRIEME CRU Fourth Growth PREMIER GRAND CRU CLASSE The first rank of St.Emilion classed growths. (1954 classification)
CINQUIEME CRU Fifth Growth GRAND CRU CLASSE The second rank of St Emilion classed growths (1954 classifications)
CRU EXCEPTIONEL In the Medoc , the second rank, below Cru Classe. SUPERIOR (after the name of Graves or Bordeaux). Indicates wine with 1% of alcohol above the minimum allowed
CRU BOURGEOIS SUPERIOR The Third Rank HAUT A mere verbal gesture, except as part of the name of Haut Medoc.

BACKGROUND TO FRENCH AND BORDEAUX WINES


France has long been not only the biggest grower , but the biggest importer in the world. At one time she accounted for two thirds of the entire international wine trade. Now, however Italy challenges her in both production and consumption and has become the world's biggest exporter - mainly to France.

When the brokers of Bordeaux set out to establish the famous 1855 classification of the Medoc they took as their guide the prices fetched by the different chateaux over the previous hundred or so years. They were safe in assuming that something for which the world is consistently prepared to pay more for so long must be better.

 


 
AUCTION PRICES 
The following is an excerpt from Hugh Johnson's ’’ World Atlas of Wine’’ ‘‘Auction prices give the clearest idea of the relative values put on wine on the open market. In 1966 ,Christie’s, the London Auction house restarted the practice of auctioning wine ( which they originally began in the 18th century)........... More than half the wine sent for auction was lying overseas when it was sold. In addition, important cellars of old wines were sent to London for sale from all over the world.

Since the majority of buyers are overseas as well, London has a unique situation in the world of wine as the place where values are established.

Claret and Vintage Port are always the most popular wines at auction for at least two reasons:

  • Firstly because they mature more slowly than any other wines, and therefore have a longer life in which they can safely be bought and sold.

  • Secondly because they are clearly identifiable and easily understood: almost, in fact, a negotiable currency.
    There is only one Chateau Latour 1961 or Croft 1963. In contrast there are a dozen different growers of Chambertin and no accepted touchstone for distinguishing between them. Moreover modern burgundy cannot be relied upon to keep for long in the bottle.

    One might hazard that German wines ( except the very finest and rarest) suffer from similar disadvantages. Certainly their average lot values follow the same pattern as burgundy rather than claret. Their bottle life is considered - often wrongly - to be short, and the sheer complications of their naming system deters the majority of potential bidders...........’’

    In 1978 Decanter magazine created two wine indices one for Bordeaux and the other for vintage ports. Each month they list the current auction prices obtained for the various classified wines and ports.
    There is no actual ‘wine market’, therefore the prices obtained at auction are the best indices Wine Index .


    UK auctions: Mixed fortunes at Christie's
    Christie's sale of claret, fine wines and vintage port was significant more for burgundy, Champagne, and a range of wines from Italy and Spain - not to mention grappa and armagnac - and less for claret. To see the story follow this link
    http://www.decanter.com/news/newsdefault.asp?
    newsstoryid=270

    UK auctions: The festive season
    Some of the greatest Champagnes made during the last century are up for auction at Sotheby's forthcoming sale on 6 December in London. To see the story follow this link
    http://www.decanter.com/news/newsdefault.asp?
    newsstoryid=278
    UK auctions: Christie's showcase rare Lafite

    Three very rare bottles of 18th century Lafite (pictured) take centre stage at Christie's sale of claret, fine wines and vintage port in London on Thursday 23 November. To see the story follow this link
    http://www.decanter.com/news/newsdefault.asp?
    newsstoryid=280
    Burgundy prices on a record high

     Burgundy prices are set to soar to a record high this year - if the latest Hospices de Beaune charity auction is anything to go by. To see the story follow this link
    http://www.decanter.com/news/newsdefault.asp?
    newsstoryid=284
    Sotherbys Forthcoming Wine Auctions
    London 1 November
    London 15 November
    New York 18 November
    London 6 December
    Chicago 9 December
    New York 27 January
    For details: telephone 800 444 3709 ( Within the USA) or  0207 293 5909 ( Within the UK)

    UK auctions: Corkscrews up for sale
    In the era of the screw cap, is the corkscrew becoming an endangeredspecies? To see the story follow this link
    http://www.decanter.com/news/
    newsdefault.asp?newsstoryid=302

    THE LEADING CHATEAUX OF BORDEAUX

    This site is being written, not as an authoritative text , but as an easy to read assist. When you are offered some wines for investment it is good to know a little about the underlying history and details about the relevant chateaux. As Drummond & Co. only purchase from the top 25 chateaux in any one year we will not describe all the chateaux, only the leading ones.The first five are the first category of the Medoc and Graves. Namely Chateaux Margaux, Latour, Haut-Brion, Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild.
    Chateaux Margaux
    One of the choicest Medoc soils is in the vineyards of Chateau Margaux, only fifteen miles from Bordeaux, which perhaps gained its distinguished position because its gravelly sand is so well drained.

    This illustrious abode was the residence of Edward III, King of England; in those days it was one of the most fortified Chateaux in Guyenne.

    In the 12th century it was known as La Mothe and belonged to the powerful d'Albret family. Later it passed on to the Montferrands and then the Lords of Durfort.

     In the middle of the eighteenth century Chateaux Margaux became the property of Mr.de Fumel, the Bordeaux military commander, who  was largely responsible for creating the reputation of the estate.

    In 1802, the Marquis of La Colonilla acquired the property, razed the old Gothic manor house and built the Chateau that is there today. In 1879, Count Pillet-Will improved the reputation further. Today the chateau and the 250 hectares which surround it belongs to the S.C.A. du Chateau Margaux. And it is run by Laura and Corinne Mentzelopoulos.

    The estate of Chateau Margaux consists of nearly 600 acres, of which less than 175 are vineyard. Of those usually planted in vines, some 10 acres are now resting, while another small portion is given over to the making of a white wine, called Pavillon Blanc, that is not considered great enough to carry the famous chateau label.

    The chateau itself sits in its vast park at the end of a cobbled drive guarded by a great wrought-iron gate. It is a great rectangle of a building, the centre of its front facade boasting four columns making a roofed porch modelled after the Parthenon. The interior is strictly Empire.

    Near the chateau, which is pictured on the label, are the buildings where the wine is made - great low sheds called chais, built round a courtyard that opens out on the vineyards and their short-stalked, knee-high vines. The central chai contains the presses and the enormous vats, almost ten feet high and six across, typical of Bordeaux wine-making, where the grape juice ferments for a week or two before being barrelled, the time depending on the amount of sugar it contains. When the fermentation is complete, the new wine is drawn out of the oak vats into new oak barrels, which are trundled into the adjoining chai and lined up in long rows on their sides, resting on heavy timbers.

    This chai , about the size of a small auditorium, is presided over by the maitre de chai, the cellar master in charge of the wine-making.

    After the regisseur, or manager, he is the most important man at a wine chateau, and helps make the final decision as to when the grapes shall be picked, how long the grape juice remains in the vats, when it is to be barrelled and bottled, how the wine is to be treated, and so on. This chai of Chateau Margaux is one of the biggest. Its tile roof is held up by great columns; the whole interior is whitewashed and spotless, and big enough for the great banquets held every year or so, at which as many as fifteen hundred people have been served.

     
    CHATEAU LATOUR

    TheChateau of Latour was burned down at the end of the Plantagenet reign when Talbot, the last English commander of the British occupation, was defeated there. All that remains of the old chateau is a domed water tower hulking above the famous vines, a caretaker's small, ugly house covered with ivy, in a grove of trees, and an old stone crenelated gateway that guards the entrance to the chais and appears on the label.

    A fabulous treasure is supposed to be buried somewhere around the place, and the cellar master , who is as fond of garlic as he is of wine, will let you look for it, providing that you don't hurt the vines.

    The vineyard of château Latour, created about 1680, is one of the oldest in Médoc. Due to action taken by the Marquis of Ségur who owned it at the beginning of the 18th c., it rapidly acquired prestigious renown, fully justified by the quality of its wines.
    First of all, this quality comes from the exceptional geographic and geological situation on gravel crests overlooking the Gironde and also to the fact that, of all the vineyards in Médoc, it is nearest the river. The heart of the vineyard, called the Enclos, is composed of 47 hectares of old vines which are preciously maintained because they are the only ones capable of producing the grand vin.

    The grapes are 78% Cabernet-Sauvignon, and 17% Merlot, the other 5% split between Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot. The 18 hectares outside the Enclos, young vines less than 10 years old and vats which may eventually be de-classified produce the estate's second label, Les Forts de Latour.

    In 1963, when the estate was acquired by the British group Pearson, they gave château Latour a powerful uplift allowing it to undergo an in-depth technical update: in that way in 1964 already, château Latour was one of the first growths where winemaking was carried out in stainless-steel vats with automatic temperature control.

    Ageing is still carried out according to the most authentic tradition in new barrels of split merrain oak for a period of 17 to 20 months. This  combination of modern techniques and age-old tradition enables the wine to achieve supreme quality.  After 30 years of English occupation, château Latour is French once again since it was purchased by Mr. François Pinault in June 1993.

    The chais are amongst the handsomest in the Medoc, being built around a court planted with rows of vigorously pruned plane trees. The new wine is kept in a long, low chai with small windows looking across the vineyards to the river. Production at Latour is small: less than 110 acres, all planted in vines, none resting. Dead roots are torn up and replaced each year.

    Constant care is one of the secrets of great wine according to most cellar masters, says Latour's regisseur. One aspect is meticulous cleanliness, particularly the scrubbing of the the new barrels beforet he new wine is poured into them. While ageing in the barrels, some of the wine will evaporate, necessitating refilling the barrels frequently to keep the wine sound. Otherwise volatile acidity, the enemy of all wine makers, will develop. This refilling is called ouillage, and it is done so often at Latour that the outsides of the barrels between the two centre hoops are stained red with the wine.

    One visitor insisted that each barrel was painted with a red stripe, and perhaps the symmetry is helped somewhat by wiping the barrels with a cloth after each refilling. The wines of Chateau Latour have an extremely long life and makes great wines year after year

     

    This site was downloaded from 

    Chateau Haut Brion's own website.

    The history of 

    Château Haut-Brion

    Former proprietors  of
    Château Haut-Brion

    The Pontac Family

    Château Haut-Brion is one of the few remaining family owned domains of the Bordeaux region with a history going back to the 16th  century. 
    Joan Dillon, duchesse of Mouchy, is keeping alive a tradition that was begun on April 12, 1533 by Jean de Pontac.

    She is the latest link in a chain that included the Fumel and the Larrieu families and Talleyrand.

    The Pontac Family 

    In 1550, Jean de Pontac built the château at Haut-Brion 

    The Pontac family traces their origins to the small city of the same name in the Béarn region near Pau. The family history dates back to the 11th  century, and as early as the 15th  century, the name Pontac is found associated with wine trading. 
    The greatest vineyard of the Graves area is Chateau Haut-Brion, in Pessac, a suburb of Bordeaux. The main road, with its trolley-bus line, divides the vineyard.

    Arnaud I de Pontac, member of the bourgeoisie and a Bordeaux wine merchant was the family patriarch and founder of the family fortune during the 15th  century. 

    Jean de Pontac (1488-1589). This son of Arnaud is the original founder and builder of the Château Haut-Brion. At the age of 37, he married Jeanne de Bellon who brought a part of the Haut-Brion domaine in her dowry. During the course of his three marriages, the last begun at the age of 76, fifteen children were born. 
     

    As the years passed, Jean acquired parcels of the surrounding land thereby enlarging the Haut-Brion acreage. In 1550, he began construction of the château for the sole purpose of exploiting the vineyards. 

    Jean died at the age of 101, and his unusually long life spanned the reigns of Louis XII, François I, Henri II, Charles IX and Henri III.

    Arnaud II de Pontac (1530-1605), fourth son of Jean inherited the domain at the age of 59 years. Ordained a priest at 27, he became Bishop of Bazas. His name was legendary in the region. He was a charitable man who spent a large part of his fortune restoring the cathedral and trying to alleviate the general poverty. Local lore has it that his funeral cortege was fifteen kilometers long. 

    Geoffroy de Pontac (1576-1649). At the time of the death of his uncle, Arnaud II, Geoffroy was already residing at Château Haut-Brion. A man of the 17th century, he lived like the great members of the court. He built a magnificent home named the "Daurade", and decorated it with gilding and gold. The splendour of the residence attested to the already great commercial success enjoyed by Haut-Brion wine at this time.

    Arnaud III de Pontac (1599-1681). Arnaud III led a life as luxurious as that of his father. His marriage to the daughter of the president of the Parliament of Paris brought him still greater prestige. It also gave him a connection to the Parliament of Bordeaux. He eventually became the first President of the Parliament of Guyenne. 

    Because of him, Haut-Brion developed its reputation in England. He was the first to understand the importance of the English market, despite the wars and other problems between the two realms.

    François-Auguste de Pontac (1636-1694) was the last Pontac to own Haut-Brion through direct inheritance. He served as President of the parliament in Bordeaux in 1653, however his activities in London (for the prestige of Haut-Brion) became more important than his time in Bordeaux.

    In 1666, he opened a tavern in London called the "Enseigne de Pontac", which became "...the most fashionable place in London..." in its time. 

    Because he was so often absent, François-Auguste left his manager Bertrand Dubut in charge. Dubut took care of the domain with few technical resources. He introduced the techniques of racking and fining. 

    François-Auguste lived a life so rich and careless that the château was repossessed twice in order to pay his debts. He was eventually able to save his property thanks to both his influence and that of his wife, Félicie de Crussol d'Uzès. 

    At his death, his debts passed to his sister Thérèse, as he left no children. 

    Thérèse de Pontac. Thérèse inherited two thirds of Haut-Brion. The last third became the property of Louis-Arnaud Lecomte, baron of Tresne, nephew of François-Auguste. 

    In 1654, Thérèse married Jean-Denis d'Aulède de Lestonnac. Curiously, Jean-Denis died only eighteen days after inheriting Haut-Brion from his wife. 

    His son, François-Delphin d'Aulède de Lestonnac, became baron (and then marquis) of Margaux, then Haut-Brion. 

    After the death of François-Delphin in 1746, his sister Catherine d'Aulede de Lestonnac, widow of François-Joseph de Fumel since 1688, inherited the property.

    The Fumel family 

    The château Haut-Brion through the French Revolution 

    The Fumel family originated from the Agenais region. They developed the qualities of Haut-Brion until the time of the French Revolution. 

    Louis de Fumel (1700-1749).

    He became the Lord of Haut-Brion after the death of his mother. His time was short lived however, as he died one year after taking charge. 
     

    Joseph de Fumel (1720-1794).

    After his father's untimely death in 1749, Joseph, the third son, inherited the domain. In 1748, he married Marie-Elisabeth de Conty d'Hargicourt. Although first a soldier, Joseph became the master of Haut-Brion in 1763. He ordered much work done, built an orangerie, other buildings, and designed a large park. 

    Joseph developed the wine trade abroad. He sent much wine to England, his first foreign market. At this time, the French were becoming increasingly appreciative of the "vin de Pontac":

    It was during this period that the Duke de Richelieu introduced the King to Haut-Brion.

    The beginnings of the Revolution had little effect on the domain. Fumel gave his renowned Château Trompette to the people of Bordeaux but his gold and silver went to the government. His foreign commercial links, especially with England, and the emigration of some of his family made him suspicious to the revolutionaries. In the end, he was arrested and guillotined.
    Haut-Brion then fell on difficult times. Sold as a national asset, it subsequently passed through several hands. Finally, in 1801, the Prince de Talleyrand purchased it.

    Talleyrand 

    Talleyrand, great historical figure and owner of Haut-Brion. 

    In charge of foreign affairs under Napoléon, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754-1838) bought Haut-Brion in 1801. He often served the now famous Haut-Brion wine to his guests, and he employed the wine to advance his many diplomatic efforts. The success of his diplomacy at the Congress of Vienna after Napoleon's defeat, is often attributed to his chef, Careme. 

    At fabulous dinners Talleyrand pitted his victorious guests against one another, and in the warmth of the fine food and the glow of glorious wine they made expansive concessions to that wily representative of a defeated nation.

    Occupied with many problems, Talleyrand sold Haut-Brion in 1804. Between 1804 and 1836 Haut-Brion was owned by a banker and a wine broker before being purchased by the Larrieu family.

    The Larrieu Family 

    Château Haut-Brion becomes "grand cru classé"... 

    Although the family does not come from the region, the Larrieu consolidated and enlarged the domain and helped make Haut-Brion the "premier grand cru classé".

    Joseph-Eugène Larrieu (1777-1859). He purchased Haut-Brion at an auction held on March 12, 1836. In 1841, he bought the third belonging to the Countess of Vergennes, daughter of the marquis of Catellan. For the first time since 1694, the domain was regrouped.

    Joseph was rarely at Pessac, leaving Haut-Brion in the hands of capable managers. His strategy helped to put Château Haut-Brion among the first "grands crus" in 1855.

    Amédée Larrieu (1807-1873). After studying law, Amédée spent two years in America, returning with "republican ideas". In 1848, he was elected as a moderate republican deputy. 

    Like his father, Amédée let employees manage the business. Following their advice, he modernized the chais and began to develop the English market. 

    Several natural disasters were responsible for limiting his success: oïdium in the 1850s, and phylloxera that became his son's problem to address. 

    Eugène Larrieu (1848-1896). Born in the château and an attorney like his father, Eugène however held opposite political views. A committed royalist, he established a military-like discipline to exploit the domain. 

    Eugène had two epidemics to deal with. The disease phylloxera attacked Graves at the end of the 1880s. He had to replant a large part of Haut-Brion. He then fought against the spread of mildew. 

    Eugène died without a direct heir. Until 1922, nephews owned the domain. In 1923 Haut-Brion was purchased by André Gibert, an eccentric character with an interest in wine-making. In 1934, old, childless and ill, he offered to give the château to the city of Bordeaux in exchange for a promise that they would preserve it forever. The city refused, and Gibert sold Haut-Brion to the Dillon Family. 

    The current proprietors 

    The Dillon family 

    An American family renews tradition
    and brings innovation to a great French domain
     

    Financiers and sponsors, the Dillon Family restored to Château Haut-Brion its well-founded prestige. The Dillons brought back the tradition and pride of family ownership historically attached to Haut-Brion. Introducing select advances in technology to the vineyards, they have opened the door for continuation of the great tradition of Haut-Brion into the Twenty-first century. 

     


    Clarence Dillon

    Douglas Dillon

    Dorothy Dillon

    Joan Dillon

    Seymour Weller

    A new 
    generation
    The famous red wines come from a plantation of 105 acres. 

    " Graves" means gravel in French, and the great vineyards of the Medoc, like those of Graves, look like gravel pits. The perfect drainage is a factor in the quality of their wines.

    At Chateau Haut-Brion the gravel is as much as 60 feet deep, and the wines from many of the better vineyards in the Medoc have their distinctive taste because of their gravel and pebbly sandstone undersoil. The abundance of gravel at Haut-Brion is often given as the reason why its wines are good even in off years.
     

    CHATEAU HAUT-BRION 
    1.Chateau  2. The Chais  3.Salle de Marbre 4. Vat Room 
          5. Laboratory   6. Cooperage 7. Parks & Courtyards  8. Salle des Gardes

     

    CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD

    Château Mouton Rothschild has 75 hectares of vines in Pauillac, planted with the typical grapes of the region: Cabernet-Sauvignon (80%), Cabernet franc (10%), Merlot (8%), Petit Verdot (2%). This first growth benefits from exceptional natural conditions as much for the quality of the soil as for its exposure and insulation.

    It is looked after with meticulous care combining respect for tradition and the very latest techniques: vintners and oenologists specially designated to the supervision and treatment of the vines, harvest picked entirely by hand using open-work baskets, winemaking in an oak vat, one of the last in Médoc, ageing in new oak barrels.
     

    The history of this growth is one of the magic encounter between the soil, the climate and one man's passion, baron Philippe de Rothschild (1902-1988). In 1855, baron Nathaniel de Rothschild of the English branch bought Brane-Mouton which he immediately gave the name château Mouton Rothschild.

    However, in spite of the growth's excellence, no member of the family was seriously interested in it until 1922. That year, baron Philippe only 20 years old, fascinated by the beauty of the property and its surroundings, determined to make it his life's work.

    Straight away he decided that he would make Mouton a unique place and its wine the best. The 65 years that his reign lasted were marked by his strong personality, his enterprising spirit and his sense of innovation.

    In 1924, he was the first to initiate Òmise en bouteilles intégrale au châteauÓ (château bottling), something which had never been done before and the sign of greater responsibility by the owner.

    In 1926, he had built the famous ÒGrand ChaiÓ (100 m long), whose startling perspective remains a major attraction during château visits.

    In 1945, to celebrate the Liberation, baron Philippe had the original and poetic idea of heading up that year's label with an appropriate drawing. It was the V for Victory and the beginning of that fascinating collection of original works created each year by famous painters for the Mouton labels (Mir˜, Chagall, Braque, Picasso, Warhol, Delvaux, Bacon, Motherwell...).

    In 1981, baroness Philippine de Rothschild, baron Philippe's only daughter, imagined and promoted a travelling exhibition of this collection. 

    In 1962, the Wine in Art Museum was opened a collection which brought together three thousand years of precious objects dedicated to the vine and wine. Mouton also became a major tourist attraction with thousands of visitors coming each year.
    Baron Philippe's last challenge: to have the 1855 Classification revised so that Mouton could be officially given classified first growth status. After a 20-year fight against routine and established attitudes, he won his case in 1973.
    After the decease of baron Philippe de Rothschild in 1988, baroness Philippine de Rothschild, who had been a partner in her father's work for some years, took the destiny of Mouton in hand. Today, maintaining and innovating are the principles of her action. She has devoted herself to improving even further the quality and renown of this wine whose motto proudly proclaims: ÒPremier je suis, second je fus, Mouton ne changeÓ. 
    The chateau is a series of low Spanish-looking buildings, with the most decorated chais in all of Bordeaux. The new wine is kept in a long, low chai with indirect lighting and a mammouth cut-out of the vineyard shield, bearing rams. Underneath are cellars lit with hanging wrought iron hoops holding clusters of tiny electric candles, birthday cake size. Philippe de Rothschild deserves credit for having been the first promoter of the Medoc.


    The wines of Mouton claim some of the highest prices paid by the Bordeaux merchants, and are noted for the fact that they develop considerably with age, therefore being hard to fathom when young. Strong, dark and long-lasting they need some twenty years to really mature. Too many people ,being impatient, drink them too young.

    The vineyard is, perhaps, on the highest point in the Bordeaux area and is about 100 feet above the sea.

     


    Chateau Lafite, as is the case of so many other top vineyards, proves that soil is often more important than vintage years. A wine from a great vineyard of a small year is often better than a small wine from indifferent soil in a great year.

    The vineyard consists of 200+ acres, one of the biggest vineyards in the Medoc, and makes about 800 barrels of its fabulously expensive wine; a perfumed, polished gentlemanly production.It belongs to a rival branch of the Rothschild family to Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.

    In 1986 a bottle of Chateau Lafite 1787, reportedly coming from Benjamin Franklin's cellar was sold at the Heublein auction for £115,000 and then promptly dropped !

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