Vignobles Haverlan

The long history of Haverlan Vineyards

The history of Haverlan Vineyards begins, not with the arrival of Dominique Haverlan, but with the success of the Gaubert family, originally from Portets. Having made their fortune in the maritime trade, they decided to go into the wine business in 1796. They then saw things in a big way and called upon the services of Gabriel Durand, who was then involved in the construction of the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, for the work they were undertaking on their land.  

Over the years, the Gaubert family lost control of their land, like many other Bordeaux families who suffered from the wars and crises between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. But they left behind their home, which was then classified as a historical monument. It is then that Dominique Haverlan enters the scene. Coming from a long tradition of winegrowing in the Bordeaux region, he decided to embark on the adventure, alone, and bought what is today the Vieux Château Gaubert in 1988. He restored the house, which had fallen into disrepair, as well as the vineyard. After a few years, he rose to the top of the famous Graves appellation.  

Success followed success for Dominique Haverlan, who acquired vineyards throughout the Graves region to create what is now known as Vignobles Haverlan. Among his estates are the Châteaux Pontet-Lamartine and La Prade, which benefit from the famous terroirs of Pessac-Léognan, as well as the Château de la Brède, which was the home of Montesquieu, a leading figure of the Enlightenment movement and a great defender of the Bordeaux terroir.  

In 2018, after winemaking in the United States and New Zealand, Romain Haverlan arrived at the estate to handle the wine/marketing side of things. Upon his arrival, he launched the Bordeaux Rosé (Villa Gaubert), which met with great success and allowed the house to diversify its clientele.

The wines of Graves

As is customary in the Graves, Dominique Haverlan makes the choice to produce both white and red wines in this vineyard at the gateway to Bordeaux and the Médoc. On the whites, we find a common framework, representative of the best the appellation has to offer: a freshness that takes the form of citrus aromas that are balanced by notes of exotic fruits. A vegetal and saline touch remains on the palate after tasting, a sign if any that the whites from Haverlan vineyards will go beautifully with marine dishes, whether it be oysters from the nearby Arcachon Basin or the simply grilled catch of the day.  

As for the reds, we are in the greatest respect of the Bordeaux tradition with, a balanced grape variety between Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as the use of the traditional oak barrel which gives all its character to the wines. When tasted, it is an aromatic festival that goes from very ripe black fruits to spices such as vanilla and grey pepper, passing through vegetal notes of fern. Great wines that you should not hesitate to forget a few years in the cellar to let them reach their full potential. 

Pessac-Léognan wines

Pessac-Léognan is to the Graves what the Grand Crus are to Burgundy: a small appellation landlocked on the most qualitative terroirs of the vineyard. The Haverlan estates are fortunate to have vines there from which they produce some of the greatest red wines of Bordeaux. In the tradition of the Graves wines, we respect the Bordeaux tradition but we take it a step further in terms of finesse and complexity of the wines. Don't hesitate to take these bottles out for special occasions, and keep them for a few years.