| Vinification | Running Off | Blending | Aging | Topping off | Racking | Fining | Bottling | Processing |
Bottling
| It was at Haut-Brion during the eighteenth century that wine was bottled for the first time in Bordeaux. This was only made possible by the use of a stopper made of cork. Cork permitted the sealing of the bottle, rendering it airtight. This technique it seems came from Portugal. |
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Until the end of the nineteenth century bottles were hand made and individually blown. Their form therefore was lacking in precision and rather elongated. The present day Haut-Brion bottle is a good example of bottles of that period with an imprinted shield in the glass to identify its origin. |
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The present day Bordeaux bottle only came to be at the end of the nineteenth century when mechanization replaced the artisan with semi-automatic and then fully automatic bottle-making machines.
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The bottle of Château Haut-Brion respects the tradition, but distinguishes itself with its own original and elegantly distinctive shape evoking the old model of a decanter. |
| The detail that makes a subtle difference... |
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The date of the bottling is not decided by chance nor is it systematically at the same time each year. The date is studied each year and decided upon according to the structure of the wine and above all the evolution it undergoes during its aging in the barrel. The date may vary up to six months between certain years.
Technical progress now permits us to bottle with machines that not only respect the wine but also meet all the prerequisites of hygiene and security that the consumer should expect. The wine is bottled in different sized bottles according to the instructions from our clients, the dealers in Bordeaux and their retailers abroad. |
We have :
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| This last bottle is rarely used and only is made when there is a great vintage or in answer to particular requests. |
