Learn everything about Chateau Laville Haut Brion, Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau Laville Haut Brion History, Overview
Chateau Laville Haut Brion was created at the start of the 1600s. The founder of the estate, who the property took its name was Marie de Laville. The Laville family maintained control of the estate for over 100 years. Like all Bordeaux estates, Chateau Laville Haut Brion was bought, sold, and traded at least a few times over the years.
Eventually, it became the property of the Woltner family. Frederic Otto Woltner bought Chateau Laville Haut Brion from the Boucasse family in 1919. The Boucasse family had owned Chateau Laville Haut Brion since 1825.
By the time they got Chateau Laville Haut Brion up and running, the Woltner family was quite well established in the Graves appellation. They were already the owner of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion as well as Chateau La Tour Haut Brion. Françoise Woltner and Francis DeWavrin took over management of Chateau Laville Haut Brion.
In 1983, ownership of Laville Haut Brion changed hands again when the Woltner family sold the estate to Clarence Dillon, the owner of Chateau Haut Brion. Chateau La Mission Haut Brion and Chateau La Tour Haut Brion were also included in the deal.
In the only Classification of Graves wines in 1959, Chateau Laville Haut Brion was one of two chateaux that only produced white Bordeaux wine from the Pessac Leognan appellation. Laville Haut Brion was given the ranking of Premier Cru
Chateau Laville Haut Brion was planted for the production of white wine in 1923. The vines, located in the commune of Talence were originally part of the vineyard for Chateau La Tour Haut Brion.
But because the soil was considered unsuitable for red wine, due to its heavy, clay-dominated terroir, with little gravel, the Woltner family did the next best thing and planted white wine grapes.
The earliest known vintage of Chateau Laville Haut Brion is 1928. However, the debut vintage was labeled Chateau La Mission Haut Brion. That practice continued for 3 years. In 1931, the new label read; Chateau Laville Terroir du Haut Brion, Premier Cru de Graves.
That eventually changed to Chateau Laville Haut Brion. Interestingly, at least two vintages were labeled additionally with Creme de Tete, 1964 and 1945. The Creme de Tete Laville Haut Brion was a special vineyard or barrel selection.
Chateau Laville Haut Brion Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The small, 3.5 hectare parcel is planted to 70% Semillon, 27% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Muscadelle. Muscadelle was not always used in the blend. In fact, the average blend is usually close to 79% Semillon and 21% Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The vines, many of them old were on average, an impressive 51 years of age.
The vineyard is located next to Chateau La Mission Haut Brion. The terroir is gravel, clay, sand, and limestone soil.
To produce the wine of Chateau Laville Haut Brion, vinification takes place in 100% new, French oak barrels. There is no contact with the skins. There is no malolactic fermentation.
Chateau Laville Haut Brion is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for an average of 13-16 months, depending on the vintage and its characteristics before bottling. The production of Chateau Laville Haut Brion was small. In an average vintage, between 500 to 600 cases of Laville Haut Brion was produced.
The Best Vintages of Chateau Laville Haut Brion 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1995, 1990, 1989 and 1985. Older vintages of Laville Haut Brion can be spectacular.
When to Drink Chateau Laville Haut Brion, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Laville Haut Brion can be enjoyed on the young side with or without decanting. Chateau Laville Haut Brion is usually better with at least 5-10 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Laville Haut Brion offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 10-20 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Laville Haut Brion, with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Chateau Laville Haut Brion is best served at 14 degrees Celsius, 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Chateau Laville Haut Brion is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, pasta, shellfish, sashimi, sushi, all types of seafood, chicken, veal, and cheese.
The final vintage for Laville Haut Brion was 2008. After that date, starting with the 2009 vintage, the grapes have been used to produce the white wine of La Mission Haut Brion.
Château Laville Haut-Brion Wine Tasting Notes
20 Vintages 117,827 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2008
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Just a knock wine that has everything an aged white Bordeaux needs. It is rich, full bodied, long, complex and loaded with perfectly ripe, yellow citrus, rocks, stones and just a hint of honey. It offers the right balance of dry sweetness and racy acidity. This should age for at least another 20 more years, or longer! 4,344 Views Tasted Mar 23, 2018The final vintage for this esteemed estate is a beauty. There is ample richness from the layers of sweet, ripe, grapefruit, lemon peel and Cara Cara oranges, with more than a dollop of honeysuckle. The wine has a beautiful sweetness that comes from the ripeness in the fruit that is made better with the bracing acidity. This should age for decades. 4,318 Views Tasted Oct 7, 2016 |
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2007
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Light in color, the wine delivers an interesting blend of vanilla, bright citrus, vermouth, lemon peel and roasted nuts on the nose. Full bodied, bright and fat, the sweet and tart, slightly honeyed citrus in the finish is fresh and refreshing. The wine was made from a blend of 83% Semillon and 17% Sauvignon Blanc. 5,038 Views Tasted Jun 5, 2016Full bodied, rich, intense and filled with ripe lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime, stone and honeysuckle in the nose. Long, fresh, clean and pure, the waxy, citrus and mineral driven finish makes a serious impression. 5,123 Views Tasted May 21, 2013 |
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2006
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
The color shows development, nit the wine is still young and fresh. The wine is rich with extract, the fruit is ripe and the crushed rock, pomelo and lemon peel, with just a touch of honeysuckle really sticks with you. 2,518 Views Tasted May 25, 2016 |
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2005
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fresh, sweet, waxy, lemon, honeysuckle and grapefruit fill your nose. On the palate, there is a sweetness to the fruit coupled with freshness that keep this lively, refreshing and focused. 4,089 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2015With a beautiful nose of lemon peel, honeysuckle, citrus and vanilla, the wine is filled with ripe, sweet, Meyer lemons, plush, fat textures and a mildly, honeyed grapefruit and fresh, bright, lush, lemony finish. It was fun tasting this seldom seen white Bordeaux wine. 3,180 Views Tasted Feb 19, 2013 |
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2004
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Light in style, with bright lemon, grapefruit and vanilla notes, this medium bodied wine leaves you with a fresh, vibrant, citrus filled finish. 3,426 Views Tasted May 8, 2014 |
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2003
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fat, dense, lush and concentrated with ample, sweet citrus, stone and honeysuckle notes. But the wine lacks the level of acidity needed to really make it sing, as opposed to just fine and interesting. 5,397 Views Tasted Oct 21, 2014 |
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2001
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
The floral tones that come with all the show honeysuckle add a lot to the ripe, sweet, yellow citrus, and dried peach notes. The wine is still fresh, vibrant, and plush on the palate and in the finish. 3,020 Views Tasted Aug 22, 2021 |
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1998
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
With good concentration of flavor, the wine is loaded with all the vanilla, sweet, ripe, yellow and orange citrus, flowers, herbs and just the right amount of honey on top that you need. Fresh and refreshing, this is drinking quite well today. 2,868 Views Tasted Nov 28, 2016Based on this wine, perhaps I should be drinking more white Bordeaux wine! Rich, full bodied, concentrated and intense, lots of fresh lemon, citrus rind, stone, vanilla and floral qualities were experienced in every sniff and sip. Still young, this delicious wine should age for years. 4,949 Views Tasted Nov 24, 2013 |
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1994
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
This has everything you need in a classic white Bordeaux wine with its citrus, lemon peel, stone and floral aromatics, rich textures and long, fresh, citrusy, honey tinged, concentrated finish. 4,107 Views Tasted May 8, 2014 |
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1990
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fully developed with its waxy lemon, lime, floral, honeysuckle and vanilla character, the wine is medium bodied, round, supple and definitely ready to drink. 3,571 Views Tasted Nov 24, 2013 |
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1989
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
The best bottle of this wine I've ever tasted kicked out with an array of secondary aromatics, butterscotch, popcorn, candied lemon peel, butter and lemon wax. Full bodied, fleshy, luscious citrus stuck with you in the finish. The wine continued evolving in the glass. 4,488 Views Tasted Jun 5, 20161989 Laville Haut Brion opened with a perfume of lemon wax, fresh cut grass, citrus oil and bees wax. Soft textures were made better with a vanilla, orange and lemon finish. Fully mature, I would not hold this wine for further development. 92 Pts 4,360 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010Vanilla, waxy flowers and citrus on the nose. Sweet from ripe fruit, but the slightly tart and short finish was not appealing 3,329 Views Tasted Feb 25, 2006 |
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1987
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fading, but still holding on to its citrus, pear and tropical fruits, you also find a liberal dose of honeysuckle and stone. Medium bodied, and on its way to being even lighter, as it continues dropping fruit and increasing its acidities. Drink up. 2,611 Views Tasted Apr 22, 2017 |
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1985
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Better on the nose, with its smoky, vanilla, butterscotch and lemony freshness, than on the palate, which while it showed density and a citrus character, it was a little listless in the finish. This bottle was good, but not great and definitely not worth the money. FWIW, I have tasted better examples of this in the past. 4,480 Views Tasted Jun 5, 20161985 Laville Haut Brion Blanc offered a beautiful, complex perfume filled with honey, floral, mineral, vanilla, citrus rind and lemon. Round, voluptuous and plush, this fully mature, white Bordeaux wine ends with a fresh, zesty, lemon finish. 5,233 Views Tasted Aug 14, 2012Very lemon waxy with elements of fresh cut grass and ripe fruit. Thick, dense flavors and a long, sweet, citrus filled finish. 3,182 Views Tasted Jul 15, 2007 |
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1984
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
"Who's knocking at my doo"r said the 1984 Laville Haut Brion Blanc... It's death. There was a glimmer of fruit remaining, but that was hard to find. The wine was maderized. My advice, don't buy this for a birth year wine. 3,695 Views Tasted Dec 17, 2013 |
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1983
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fully mature, the fresh lemon peel, vanilla, spice, orange and stone nose gets things off to a good start. Almost lush in texture, the sweet, ripe citrus in the finish keeps things interesting. There is no reason to age this any longer. 4,571 Views Tasted Aug 6, 2016Light gold with straw in color, notes of lemon, apricot and honeysuckle dominated the perfume. Light on the palate, some bitterness was found in the citrus and apricot finish. This wine is well past its prime. Drink up. 5,598 Views Tasted Sep 20, 2012 |
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1982
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Much better than the previous bottle, the nose was packed with bees wax, lemon grass, honeysuckle, burnt orange rind, and marmalade. Opulent, fresh, honeyed and intense, this is showing fabulous on its 40th birthday. 2,091 Views Tasted Sep 24, 20221982 Laville Haut Brion seemed old, tired and past its prime. Light in aromatics with muted flavors. This wine has started dropping its fruit. 4,620 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010 |
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1979
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fully mature, with a floral, spice, sweet Meyer lemon, Mandarin orange nose. The wine has soft textures and a medium bodied finish, with a kiss of honey on top of the citrus in the end note that adds additional character. 3,112 Views Tasted Aug 6, 2016 |
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1978
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Clearly fading. Not much fruit of interest going on here. The was simply, simple, lacking in intensity and complexity. Drinkable, but if there was another choice available, I'd prefer the other bottle. 1,935 Views Tasted Apr 30, 2017 |
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1966
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Served double blind, it was impossible for anyone at the table to believe this was 50 years old! Deep yellow in color, with a crushed rock, vanilla, marzipan, citrus, butterscotch, popcorn and lemon liqueur nose, it was hard to put the glass down. Rich, almost oily in texture, with ample freshness, the finish did not seem to quit, as it remained with you for at least 40 seconds! The wine did not lose its fruit in the glass during the dinner. 2,423 Views Tasted Aug 6, 2016Absolutely stunning in every way. With a few short years to go before this wine hits its 50th birthday, the golden hued beauty was butterscotch, popcorn, butter, caramel and citrus peel, Smooth as silk, the finish reminded me of a fresh vanilla custard. 3,362 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2013 |
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1961
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Tasting and looking at least 20 years younger than its true age, this fountain of youth was showing its fresh citrus, lemon peel and honeysuckle with ease. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, with a hint of honeyed sweetness in the citrus filled finish. Perhaps not as complex as other older vintages of Laville I've encountered, but this made up for that with its youthfulness. 2,789 Views Tasted Mar 26, 2017 |
