La salle des gardes is the old guard house of the régisseurs. Georges Delmas, régisseur, and director from 1923 to 1961 resided here. Born into a family of wine growers in 1894, he began his long career in 1912 at château Cos d'Estournel. He returned from the First World War to assist the maître de chai. In 1923 André Gibert enlisted him to serve as régisseur for Haut-Brion, and he began work in May of that year. Clarence Dillon retained him in this position in 1935 when he purchased the château. Georges Delmas managed the smooth conversion of horse drawn equipment to modern machinery. During the war he and his wife played an important role preventing the Germans, billeted at Haut-Brion, from drinking the wine.

His son Jean Delmas was born at Haut-Brion and raised in the quarters that today are his office. After studying at the Université de Bordeaux and the Institut d'Oenologie, Jean began working at Haut-Brion in 1956, leaving only for military service between 1958 and 1960.

After guiding the installation of the first steel vats in Bordeaux, Georges Delmas retired in November of 1961. His son, Jean, succeeded him. A period of innovation continued that November with the full support of the Dillon Family. Jean Delmas carried on making significant changes such as the installation of modern bottling facilities and the introduction of modern tractors and trucks. He then began his lifetime work on clonal research wishing to assure the quality of the vines.

Since 1990, with the building of the new chais, several additional steps toward modernization of equipment have occurred. During a tour of the new buildings with a visit to the vat room one can see several of the changes that have made Haut-Brion one of the most modern installations in the world of wine.

Step into the vatroom.