PARIS.- Earlier this summer, Sotheby’s and Domaine Clarence Dillon shared the news that they would stage a momentous auction of wines sourced exclusively and directly from the legendary cellars of Château Haut-Brion, in celebration of ninety years of Dillon family stewardship. Those nine decades make the Dillon family the second-longest dynasty to have cared for these vines across six centuries of recorded ownership.

Today, as the complete catalogue for the sale goes live on Sotheby’s website, the full scope of wines and bespoke experiences which together constitute this landmark offering is now revealed.

Château Haut-Brion, Domaine Clarence Dillon, Celebrating our 10th Decade of Family Stewardship brings together the full breadth of the estate’s production.

The 676-lot sale, carrying a combined estimate of €2.5-3.5 million, will offer a remarkable panorama of wines spanning nearly a century, from 1935 to 2025. At the heart of the auction – to be staged at Sotheby’s in Paris on 1 October 2026 – will be a series of six bespoke experiences created explicitly for this anniversary, each paired with exceptionally rare vintages, including an extraordinary barrel of the 2025 vintage – the first ever barrel to feature in an ex-cellar First Growth auction.

Throughout the Dillon family’s ownership of Château Haut-Brion, its winemaking has been entrusted to three successive generations of the Delmas family, whose stewardship in the vineyard and cellar has accompanied the Dillon family across much of these nine decades.

Georges Delmas presided over legendary mid-20th-century vintages including 1949 and 1959. Jean-Bernard Delmas succeeded him, overseeing the fabled 1961 and later the monumental 1989, widely regarded as one of the greatest wines ever produced in Bordeaux.





Jean-Philippe Delmas has continued this legacy in the 21st century, with celebrated vintages including 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Chairman and CEO of Domaine Clarence Dillon, said: “Ten decades of Dillon family stewardship may seem a brief moment against the two-thousand-year viticultural history of Château Haut-Brion. And yet, across ninety-two vintages, my family and I have traversed the modern age with one ambition: to preserve the place this extraordinary estate holds in history, while preparing it for the centuries to come. To mark this passage of time, we are sharing with lovers of Château Haut-Brion a selection of wines of impeccable provenance drawn directly from our own cellars – ancient vintages, rare formats and a small number of bespoke experiences. It is, in the truest sense, a treasure trove, and my hope is that each collector will find within it a time capsule of their own: a bottle carrying two millennia of viticultural history, ready to become part of their own story.”

Nick Pegna, Global Head of Wine and Spirits, Sotheby’s, said: “The wines and experiences presented in this exceptional sale offer a rare journey through the history of Haut-Brion, bringing together many of the estate’s greatest vintages and providing a unique insight into its enduring legacy. If one were to distil the essence of a truly great wine, several qualities would surely command attention: the capacity to evolve gracefully with age, a profound sense of place, and a character that remains constant in spirit despite the nuances of each vintage. Haut-Brion possesses all of these attributes in abundance. Yet it offers something rarer still. It is not merely admired upon release, but cherished ever more deeply as the years pass, continuing to evolve and reward those fortunate enough to follow its journey through time.”

Serena Sutcliffe, MW, Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine, said: “This sale is the story of a family and one of France’s greatest wines, and a celebration of all that can be achieved with professionalism and inspiration. At the prow, since 1935, the Dillon family has steered this remarkable estate to glittering levels, while always looking to the future with innovation and creativity.”

THE WINES

The sale brings together both Château Haut-Brion Rouge and Château Haut-Brion Blanc, each with a distinct place in the estate’s history.

The red wine of Haut-Brion is celebrated for its singular blending culture. Plot by plot, each vat is treated as distinct, with the final assemblage shaped by rigorous blind tasting. Unbound by fixed formulas, the dominant grape – whether Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc – fluctuates according to the vintage, ensuring that each year remains a distinct expression of the estate while preserving the elegance, precision and longevity of the Haut-Brion style.

“My overriding impression of this stunning First Growth is that it is the silkiest, most perfumed, most fine-grained of all the legendary top châteaux of Bordeaux. Haut Brion has an inner ‘spirituality’ to it, a haunting quality that lingers long on the senses…” -- Serena Sutcliffe, MW on Haut-Brion Rouge

If the red wine of Haut-Brion is renowned, Château Haut-Brion Blanc is one of the rarest dry white wines in the world. Produced in tiny quantities, often only 300 to 500 cases annually, it is prized for its singular combination of aromatic depth, structural brilliance and extraordinary ageing potential. With time, it develops layers of honeyed richness and complexity while retaining freshness and precision.

“The rarest of the rare, the utterly beautiful Haut Brion Blanc is the magical meeting between Sauvignon and Sémillon, vinified to their ultimate levels of quality…” --Serena Sutcliffe, MW on Haut-Brion Blanc

The sale includes important examples of the estate’s second wines and historic labels: Bahans Haut-Brion, later renamed Le Clarence de Haut-Brion in honour of Clarence Dillon; and the highly coveted second white wine of Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion: Les Plantiers du Haut-Brion, before finishing with La Clarté de Haut-Brion, its successor.

Also on offer is a limited-edition Primum Familiae Vini 2025 case, featuring a bottle of Château Haut-Brion 2010 among the 12 bottles from some of the world’s finest wine producing families. The successful bidder will have the rare opportunity to visit all twelve wineries with a tailor-made programme, entry granted with a special passport, of which only two are issued every year.





THE DILLON FAMILY’S OWNERSHIP OF CHÂTEAU HAUT-BRION

Domaine Clarence Dillon’s history at Château Haut-Brion began in 1935, when Clarence Dillon – a New York financier, Harvard graduate and lifelong Francophile – acquired the estate. The story of the acquisition has become part of the estate’s lore: while travelling home to America aboard an ocean liner, he received word that Haut-Brion could be his if he acted immediately. His cabled reply was decisive: “Act fast.”

The wines produced by the estate had long made their mark on those who were fortunate enough to taste them: most notably, Samuel Pepys whose diary entry of 1663 gave the world its first recorded tasting note of any named wine estate; and Thomas Jefferson, who was received at Haut-Brion in 1787. The 1855 classification of Château Haut-Brion as one of only four Premiers Crus Classés (First Growths) in red wine, sealed its acclaimed status.

Clarence Dillon’s stewardship marked the beginning of a new era. He and his wife, Anne, modernised the estate, restoring cellars, updating infrastructure and supporting the long-term renewal of the vineyard. His devotion to France extended beyond wine: recognised for his important financial and diplomatic service during and after the First World War, Clarence Dillon was awarded the Légion d’honneur, a distinction that would later be shared by several members of the family.

Clarence’s vision also left a lasting imprint on the identity of Château Haut-Brion. He conceived the estate’s distinctive bottle for the 1958 vintage, a bespoke silhouette unlike any other in Bordeaux, and also designed the estate’s logo and elegant carafes. The bottle held by wine collectors today remains, in visual terms, the one Clarence Dillon imagined.

Throughout the Second World War and the post-war decades, daily stewardship of the estate was guided by Clarence’s nephew, Seymour Weller, who served as President of Domaine Clarence Dillon from 1935 until 1975. Remaining in France during the war alongside his French wife, Thérèse, Weller joined the Resistance and was later decorated with the Légion d’honneur. He oversaw the estate through the Occupation, the post-war recovery and the gradual transformation of Haut-Brion into one of the world’s most admired wine estates.

Clarence’s son, Douglas Dillon, continued the family’s deep-rooted connection between France and the United States. A distinguished diplomat and statesman, he served as United States Ambassador to France before becoming Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. His public career, cultural patronage and personal devotion to France formed an important chapter in the family’s history.

Douglas Dillon and Joan Dillon

In 1975, Douglas Dillon’s daughter, Joan Dillon, became President of Domaine Clarence Dillon. Later Princess Joan of Luxembourg and subsequently Duchesse de Mouchy, she brought elegance, determination and a powerful sense of continuity to the family company. Together with Philippe, Duc de Mouchy, she oversaw major developments at the estate and, in 1983, masterminded the acquisition of Château La Mission Haut-Brion, bringing the two neighbouring estates under the ownership of a single family for the first time since the 16th century.

Today, the fourth generation is led by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Joan’s son and Clarence Dillon’s great-grandson. Having joined the board at eighteen, he entered full-time management in 1997, was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2002, and became President and Chairman of the company in 2008.

Under Prince Robert’s leadership, Château Haut-Brion – widely considered “The” First Growth of Bordeaux – is undertaking the most profound architectural transformation in its 2,000-year history, envisioned by internationally acclaimed architect Annabelle Selldorf. The comprehensive redevelopment encompasses a state-of-the-art winemaking facility and cooperage and the newly restored Pavillon Catelan, the estate’s prestige visitor centre. Together with the estate’s extensive, world-class Gastronomy & Wine Library and Le Clarence, the two-Michelin-starred Parisian restaurant, these expansive developments underscore the family’s commitment to winemaking, cultural heritage and the French art of hospitality. The auction serves as the first public celebration of this endeavour, which will culminate in 2027.

Experiences Highlights

Lot 226: A rare behind the scenes discovery at Château Haut-Brion, united with the Linley 75th Anniversary Console and eight historic vintages from 1935 to 2009, est. €130,000-260,000

An exceptional collector’s journey between Paris and Bordeaux, conceived as an immersion into the cultural, gastronomic and vinous universe of Domaine Clarence Dillon. This unique experience brings together a VIP visit to the Grand Palais, a private masterclass in the Cave du Château and a gastronomic dinner, both located at Le Clarence, followed by exclusive access to Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion around the Linley 75th Anniversary Console and historic vintages.

Lot 227: An exceptional experience offering rare access to the very heart of the 2025 vintage at Château Haut-Brion, paired with the acquisition of one barrel of Château Haut-Brion Rouge 2025, est. €100,000-200,000

This unique journey includes private access to the new cellars, the discovery of the wine still in barrel with the cellar master, an exclusive lunch featuring the Clarence Dillon family estates, an intimate visit of Château La Mission Haut-Brion, a private dinner at the Pavillon Catelan, and an exceptional overnight stay at Château La Mission Haut-Brion tailored to the successful bidder.

“In 2026, the nose has the pure plumminess of Merlot, the cassis of Cabernet Sauvignon and the freshness of Cabernet Franc. Then come the enticing black cherries. Terrific Pessac-Leognan/cigary taste, its sense of place combined with a truly silky texture. This oozes fruit and class, just so distinguished and so heavenly. The drinking span of this magical wine will, thankfully, be decades long. A totally alluring, great 2025”. -- Serena Sutcliffe, MW on Château Haut-Brion 2025

Lot 426: A rare and privileged journey into two emblematic terroirs of Domaine Clarence Dillon, from Château Quintus in Saint-Émilion to Château Haut-Brion in Pessac alongside rare assortment cases of Château Haut Brion rouge, blanc and Château Quintus, est. €40,000-80,000

This exclusive experience brings together a private vineyard immersion, a vertical tasting of Château Quintus, a seasonal lunch overlooking the vines, behind-the-scenes access to Château Haut-Brion’s new cellars and gallery, an exceptional dinner at the Pavillon Catelan, and an exclusive and rare overnight stay at Château La Mission Haut-Brion tailored to the successful bidder.