Ancestor of vintage wines, legendary vintage, Haut-Brion was born in 1525 when Jean de Pontac, Officer in the Parliament of Bordeaux, acquired the lands of Haut-Brion by marriage and built there, in 1550, a building in place of North wing of the present Castle. Jean de Pontac and his descendants, Arnaud II and Arnaud III de Pontac, succeeded by their patient efforts and their research to produce a new type of wine which in England, under the name of "New French Claret", produced a very large success. Traces of this wine are found in the court of King Charles II in 1660 and 1661. It is Count Joseph de Fumel, descendant of Pontac, which gave the end of the eighteenth century the estate its size current, and built the castle and its park. Following the revolution, the estate passed successively in several hands (including those of Talleyrand) to finally lead in 1935 in those of Clarence Dillon, a major financier American, Francophile and great lover of wine, whose son was Minister and Ambassador of & Eacute United States in Paris. Still in the family, the estate is now run by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, his great-grandson. The vineyards, covering an area of ??51 ha, are located almost in town, at the doors of Bordeaux. They are planted on gravel soil with sandy-clay subsoil, cabernet sauvignon and merlot (42 to 44% each) and cabernet franc. A small area (less than 3 ha) is planted as a seed (52%), sauvignon (47%) and petit verdot (1%). The estate produces a great wine in red and white , as well as a second wine, now named "The Clarence of Haut-Brion" ("Bahans Haut-Brion" until 2006).