Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion

Paul Claudel once said that pleasure should prevail over prestige when it comes to wine. A well-known adage at Château Larrivet Haut-Brion, where boldness and creativity are at the service of making great wines. 

Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion, acquired in 1987 by the Gervoson family, has regained the viticultural unity it had at the turn of the century: the château, its 13-hectare park, its farm buildings and 42 hectares of vines in production, as well as 18 hectares formerly planted with vines and gradually replanted.

Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion's expert team of enthusiastic specialists has restored this flagship property of the Pessac-Léognan appellation to its former glory. The vineyards of Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion are typical of the middle terrace of Bordeaux's Graves region: gravelly with an extremely sandy matrix. Driven by a passion for their wine, the Larrivet-Haut-Brion team takes daily care of its development, from the rigorous, meticulous care of the vines to the harvesting of perfectly ripe, healthy grapes. Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion is an associate member of the Bordeaux Wine Academy, a member of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and a member of the Commanderie du Bontemps de Médoc et des Graves de Sauternes et Barsac.

Today, this new-found rehabilitation has given the Larrivet Haut-Brion estate, with its 75 hectares of vines, the glory of a jewel in the crown of the Pessac-Léognan AOC appellation.

Located to the northeast of Léognan, the estate boasts optimal conditions for the production of great wines. With a clay-gravel soil with a sandy matrix, perfectly exposed and drained, the production potential is very broad, resulting in elegant wines with strong character. With Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc for the reds, and Sauvignon and Semillon for the whites, there are no fewer than 7,700 vines per hectare. After a perfectly ripe harvest, the wines are vinified as follows:

- in small temperature-controlled vats for red wines, followed by maturation for 14 to 18 months depending on the vintage.

- vinification in new barrels, decorated concrete eggs or small wooden vats for white wines. Ageing lasts 10 to 11 months, with regular re-suspension.

Since the Gervoson family bought the estate, no fewer than twenty vintages have been produced from the vines. A rich, opulent production that generally offers red or white wines with lots of personality. Since the 2010 vintage, the wines have improved in elegance and tenacity for the reds, and in exuberance for the whites. The estate has also taken up the production of second wines, headlined by "Les Demoiselles de Larrivet Haut-Brion" or "Les Hauts de Larrivet Haut-Brion". These fresh, fruity wines from young vines can be produced on a larger scale, making them accessible to a wider public.