1986 Chateau Haut-Brion - Pessac-Léognan 1er Grand Cru Classé - 1 McKenzie (5l)

Ultra rare 5liter bottle of Chateau Haut Brion from the great vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux. Something stellar to have in your collection. You will be on of the few people in the world!!

Château Haut-Brion is the oldest of Bordeaux's five first growths, and one of the most famous wines in the world. Located in Pessac-Léognan, south of the city of Bordeaux, the château is rather far removed from its counterparts, all of which are found in the Médoc. Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Latour are all in Pauillac, while Château Margaux is – unsurprisingly – in Margaux.

The property is in the northern Graves on the outskirts of Bordeaux, and is now surrounded by encroaching buildings and roads. It is also flanked by La Mission Haut-Brion, which was bought by Haut-Brion's owners in the early 1980s.

The majority of the estate's 51 hectares (126 acres) of vineyard is planted to red varieties with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot covering 48 hectares (118 acres) while three hectares (7.5 acres) are given over to Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

The Haut-Brion cuvée tends to have more Merlot than the wines from the Medoc, with Cabernet Sauvignon in more of a supporting role (this is reflected in the vineyard). As such, Haut-Brion is more rounded and softer than other Left Bank wines. The château describes the wine as having an empyreumatic (charred organic matter) bouquet.

The château's second wine has been known as La Clarence de Haut-Brion since 2007.

White as well as red
Haut-Brion's red wine, also known as the "grand vin" is its key line, comprising most of the château's output. However, it is also unusual in the classified growths that it has a corresponding white wine that shares the simple Haut-Brion name (although this is far from unusual for estates in the Graves and Pessac-Léognan, which regularly produce both red and white wines) and is often dubbed "Haut-Brion blanc", even by English-speakers.

History
The vineyards were established in the 1530s by the Pontac family, changing hands several times throughout the ensuing centuries. Historical evidence shows that Haut-Brion was drunk by King Charles II and Thomas Jefferson, and the famous London diarist Samuel Pepys was also a fan of the wine.

The estate was acquired by American Francophile Clarence Dillon in 1935 and has been managed by the family since. Apart from La Mission Haut-Brion the Dillon family also own several other Bordeaux estates, the most famous of which is Château Quintus, a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (formerly Château Tertre-Daugay).