This vineyard lies in the Graves, and the wine exhibits a distinctive 'gout de terroir'
or taste of the terroir, which sets them apart from the Medoc wines. At an elevation of 27m
above sea level, the soil of Haut Brion's vineyard is gravelly and runs as deep as 18m in some places.
Very early on, Haut Brion acknowledged the contribution of research in the fields of oenology and
viticulture, and thus pioneered the use of stainless steel vats and fermentation temperature control
in Bordeaux during the early 1960s.
In the 1990s, Jean B. Delmas, the manager, acknowledged that while great wine could be made with
the help of modern science, one should not discount terrior. He then proceeded to painstakingly match
rootstocks and clones to the terrior (soil/climate/vineyard). Clones are made by taking cuttings from
the best mother vines and then grafting them. In essence, these clones are identical in genetic potential
to the best vines. Experiments involving the fermentation of grapes from different parcels of land and
cloning have led to further improvements in the wine quality.
In the cellar, each vat contains unique wines made from grapes from different parts of the vineyard.
The best vats are then 'assembled' or blended to achieve the Haut Brion Grand Vin. Unlike its Medoc
counterparts, Haut Brion is made to be approachable when young, despite the high levels of Cabernet
Sauvignon used in the blend. Haut Brion vineyards span over 43 hectares, and approximately 145,000 bottles
of the wine are made annually. Haut Brion is the only wine outside the Medoc to be listed in the 1855
Classification of Grand Crus. 
