Interview of Jean Philippe Delmas, Chateau Haut-Brion

Interview of Jean Philippe Delmas, Chateau Haut-Brion

Chateau Haut-Brion is a First Great Growth of Bordeaux. Actually, Haut-Brion is the only wine in the classification not coming from Haut-Médoc but from Pessac Léognan. Haut-Brion is famous for its excellence, innovation and quality. Haut-Brion is managed by the third generation of a winemaker family and owned by a fourth generation American family. Let's try to break the secrets behind Chateau Haut-Brion.


You are the third generation of Delmas in charge of Haut-Brion. You took the reins last year. How are you dealing with this responsibility ? Is it difficult to succeed a living legend such as your father ?

So far, everything is going well. It is an incredible chance. Without my father I would not be there. It is a chance that I spent ten years learning with him. First of all because he is valued by his colleagues as a good oenologist. Therefore, it is always interesting to acquire an experience from a great professional. Of course, we have father and son relationship. Sometimes there were tension in the air, my father is not very patient, but everything went well ! I have to say that I am lucky to have by my side the Dillon's family. They are now at their fourth generation at Haut-Brion. Today I work with the son of the Duchess, the Prince of Luxembourg, who is one year older than me. The generations Delmas and Dillon follow each other. The Duchess was born the same year as my father, the year when the Dillon's family bought Haut-Brion, it was in 1935.


It is said that the success of Haut-Brion rests on its stability. You are the third generation of Delmas in charge of Haut-Brion.

Yes, sure, stability is significant when you are in the wine business. The typicity of a wine comes from its ecosystem. Another part is brought by the human touch, it is the style of the wine. When there is a change at the winery: oenologist, team, owner, the wine changes more or less. The succession of generations with the same approach makes it possible to have a continuity in the wine we make. As it is the same family, the same way of thinking, the choices always go in the same direction. And you can find these choices in the wine. Indeed, we can say that Haut-Brion is famous for its regularity.

Read the full interview (with pictures):
http://www.terroir-france.com/interview/haut-brion.htm