Haut Brion interview with Jean Philippe Delmas

Interview

Jean-Philippe Delmas
Château Haut Brion

Haut-Brion is a First Great Growth of Bordeaux. Actually it is the only one not coming from the Médoc area, but from Pessac Léognan in Graves.

Haut-Brion is famous for its regularity, its innovation and its excellence. Let us try to find out some of their secrets.

Monsieur Delmas, 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 (Jean Bernard Delmas)?

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.

Is it true that your father was born at Haut-Brion?

My father was born in the Haut-Brion estate, not in the Château itself. Talking about me, It was better that my mother gave birth at the hospital which is 100 meters (328 feet, 91,5 yards) from Haut-Brion.

Is your father still helping you out in your work?

We signed a contract with my father as a consultant. We still use his experience. The experience is irreplaceable in the wine business. We only know the emerged part of the iceberg. There are grey areas where we still have many things to learn. It would have been regrettable not to use him.

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Jean Philippe Delmas, Château Haut-Brion

delmas-haut-brion
Jean-Philippe Delmas
Château Haut-Brion

Château Haut-Brion

Jean-Philippe Delmas Château Haut Brion

Jean-Philippe Delmas
Château Haut Brion