Meeting with Château Haut-Brion & Clarence Dillon Wines

Château Haut-Brion. Image Kenny Jess Brandt

The history of Château Haut-Brion dates back to 1521, when the name was first linked to the area around Pessac, a few kilometers southwest of the city of Bordeaux. However, it was not until the famous 1855 classification, where they were named one of just five Premier Cru Classé estates, that the name truly became world famous.

Château Haut-Brion. Image: Château Haut-Brion

The development continued in 1935, when the American banker, Clarende Dillon, bought the estate and moved in with his family, whose 4th generation today, in the form of Prince Robert of Luxembourg, is behind one of the most famous wine families in the world.

In the meantime, the Dillon family acquired Château La Mission in 1983, located directly opposite of Château Haut-Brion in Pessac, and Château Quintus in Saint-Emilion in 2011. All three estates are under the Clarence Dillon Wines brand, which in addition to wine production also owns a 2-star Michelin restaurant and a wine shop in Paris.

It was therefore with a good deal of anticipation that I last Tuesday made my way to Restaurant Mefisto in Aarhus’ Latin Quarter, where Rico from Best Selection had set up a meeting with Mikael Boyer, area manager in the UK and Scandinavia for Clarende Dillon Wines.

Mikael comes from Brittany, but has lived in Bordeaux for the last 15 years, of which he has worked for the Dillon family the last 2.5 years. He has brought eight wines with him, representing their wines from both the west and east banks of the Garonne River. However, none of the top wines, which have been reserved for an exclusive VIP tasting and dinner later that evening at Aagaard Kro in Vejle … more on that later.

Château Haut-Brion. Image: Château Haut-Brion

We taste Clarendelle Blanc 2024, Clarendelle Rosé 2024, Clarendelle Bordeaux 2018 – which has been selected to be the official wine of this years Oscar Show – Clarendelle Médoc 2022, Clarendelle Saint-Emilion 2022, Le Dragon de Quintus 2021, Le Clarende de Haut-Brion 2020 and the sweet Clarendelle Amberwine 2021. And the white wine and the Médoc in particular stand out with their respectively fresh, mineral and fruity and powerful, dry and dusty style, although Haut-Brion's second red wine, Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, also is drinkable.

After the tasting I have a chat with the very likeable Mikael Boyer, and that's it! He and Rico are going on to Vejle and the VIP tasting. So goodbye for now …

… or not quite. We all know that when there is great wine nearby, the sommelier smells it right away. Yes, the tasting at Mefisto was good, but when the great wines are to be opened later the same day …! In short, I asked Rico to save a sip of the top wines that were on the evening's program, so that I could get a better understanding of what Haut-Brion really is. All tricks apply in love and wine, and the good Rico therefore drops by my apartment on Molsgade that evening at 11 pm and gives me a goodie bag consisting of Château Haut-Brion Blanc in the vintages 2021 and 2009, the second wines La Clarté de Haut-Brion 2021 and Le Clarende de Haut Brion 2020 and last but not least, Château Haut-Brion Rouge in the vintages 2020, 2016, 2009 and 2006.

The next day, I therefore gather my employees at Vincaféen in the bar, because as everyone knows, wine tastes better with others. And it turns out to be a great experience. The wines taste fantastic, the whites with a noble structure, dry and salty minerality and good depth, and the reds with a beautiful aroma, lots of tannin and power, and they only get better the older they are.

You can always discuss whether they are worth the money. After all, the top wines cost around 3,000-5,000 DKK each when purchased in their release years, and of course it is an important part of the assessment professionally. But if you take off the business glasses and simply enjoy them for what they are, these wines are very beautiful and elegant with great potential.

In a time of constant and uncertain change, it is perhaps worth noting – and being grateful for – that we live in a world with so much good wine just waiting to be tasted.

Finally, a big thank you goes out to Rico Jørgensen and Best Selection, who has the agency for Clarence Dillon Wines in Denmark, for arranging the meeting.