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The Lands of Haut-Brion
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Formed by two knolls that have no nearby equivalent,
the Château Haut-Brion vineyard rises 12 to 15 meters above the
beds of two nearby streams - the Peugue to the north and the Ars to the
south. |
At the end of the Tertiary Age, the Aquitaine Basin emerged
from beneath the seas. The western Pyrenees mountains rose and debris stripped
by erosion was spread over the foot hills. Water rushing with great power
from the mountains, washed gravel, sand and clay as far north as the Gironde
River. Contained in this geologic debris were mostly small pebbles of white
quartz from 1 to 3 centimeters in diameter. |
Later, a layer of larger stones was deposited on top of this
stratum. Today this forms the soil of the vineyard. This soil that was once
part of the Pyrenees has several easily recognized characteristics. Most
of its stones are 6 to 8 centimeters in diameter, and many measure as much
as 10 to 12. Pebbles of rock quartz, quartzites, agatoid quartz, hardened
conglomerates, and Jurassic flints are abundant. |
Part of Pleistocene Era that geologists call "Gunzian", this
gravel makes up the base of the original vineyard land at Château
Haut-Brion. A diagram of this exceptional soil
illustrating its privileged location in the landscape is available. |
