During the dinner-gala tomorrow evening at Casa Grande with the fashion show by Angel Sanchez and special guest appearance of Miss Dominican Republic Yaritza Reyes, you will be given the unique opportunity of acquiring an imperial bottle of Chateau Haut Brion 1982 – a First Growth from a legendary vintage in a magnificent large format.
This bottle hails from the cellar of a serious collector who bought the wines shortly after initial release and stored them in temperature-controlled conditions. Now thanks to this collector’s generous donation to the Fundacion MIR, this bottle could be yours.
With a starting bid of US$10,000, the sale of this incredible bottle of wine is set to raise a good amount of money for the Fundacion MIR who is dedicated to the education of more than 1500 children in the greater La Romana area.
We look forward to seeing you at the dinner-gala tomorrow evening, don’t forget – Junior Tickets are now available for just US$150. Click here for details.
AN IMPERIAL OF TREASURED BORDEAUX IN ORGINAL WOOD CASE
“This is the best Haut Brion since 1959 and perhaps one of the best Bordeaux we have ever tasted. It has Loads of character, packed to the brim with fruit and tannins. A wine for the next century” 99 points, Wine Spectator.
Chateau Haut Brion, located in the town of Pessac, is the only first growth from the Graves Region. It is also the only first growth owned by an American, The Dillon Family.
The winemaker of Haut Brion, Jean Delmas is a close personal friend of The Zacharia Family. My son, Jeff Zacharia, the president of Zachys, spent a number of summers at Haut Brion during his college years. Jean Phillipe, Delmas’ son, conversely spent summers at Zachys, in what I can only describe as not bad duty for either son. Recently Jean Phillipe has replaced his father as winemaker at Haut Brion.
Imperials of 1982 Haut Brion sell in the range of $5,000 – $12,000 at commercial auctions. Interesting enough, my son Jeff, was at Haut Brion in 1982, and proudly states, that the wine became so great because of his presence.
— Don Zacharia
CHATEAU HAUT BRION
Haut Brion has the longest history of all the First Growths. It was even mentioned by Samuel Pepys in his diary entry of April 10, 1663, when he was dining at the Royal Oak Tavern in Lombard Street, London: “…and here drank a sort of French wine called Ho Bryan that hath a good and most particular taste I never met with.”
The famous Pontac family set up the estate in the first portion of the sixteenth century. Wealthy and well connected, they had the means to promote the wine in fashionable places, and by the early 1700s it was as well known as a wine of the highest quality. While parts were split off, the estate stayed with the family until it was passed to Joseph Fumel
in 1780. He was largely responsible for creating much of what we see today, including
the buildings, the gardens and the general layout of the property. He famously hosted a visit from Thomas Jefferson on May 25, 1787, and became Mayor of Bordeaux three years later. With its popularity waning under a succession of different owners, the estate was finally put up for auction in 1836, where it was purchased by the Larreau family. Two years later, in 1838, they managed to acquire a further piece of the estate previously lost through inheritance laws.
Although it was included as a First Growth in the 1855 classification of Bordeaux, difficult times lay ahead. A further succession of owners and the depression of the early 1930s forced another sale. This time, successful American financier Clarence Dillon stepped up, and for a little under $200,000 walked away with the estate. It remains in the Dillon family today.
No discussion of the wines of Haut Brion can be complete without a mention of the Delmas family, who have managed the property since 1923—first George Delmas, then
his son Jean-Bernard, and today Jean-Philippe. It is not only unusual but also massively fortunate for Haut Brion to have the care and attention of such a talented family of technical directors.
Jean-Philippe Delmas is a clever, tirelessly devoted man, and the solid support and financial backing of the Dillon family has enabled him and his team to produce an extremely consistent wine. I always look forward to visiting Chateau Haut Brion, not just because the wines are superb and the people great, but also because it is unique and has an important place in the history of Bordeaux.
“This is the best Haut Brion since 1959 and perhaps one of the best Bordeaux we have ever tasted. It has loads of character, packed to the brim with fruit and tannins. A wine for the next century…99.” Wine Spectator Aug 31, 1992
The Magical Splendor for Life by the Fundación MIR
Golf tournament
When: Saturday January 18th, tee off at 1pm
Where: La Romana Country Club
Cost: US$200
Dinner-gala featuring Ángel Sánchez
When: Saturday January 18th, 8pm
Where: Casa Grande, Casa de Campo
Cost:
VIP Runway table for 10 – US$7,500
*Single VIP Runway ticket – US$1,000
Single Gold ticket – US$500
Single Silver ticket – US$300
Tiffany & Co. Mystery Blue Box – US$300
*Includes the golf tournament
Contact: (809) 523-8270, info@fundacionmir.org
We look forward to seeing you there!
The Fundación MIR
The Fundación MIR is a non-profit organization which works to provide education to the children of the greater La Romana area, who are most in need. They run 3 schools; the MIR Esperanza (boys vocational school), the Escuela Tecnica Vocacional Fundación MIR (girls vocational school) and the Primaria MIR (infants school).
For more information on the Fundación MIR and to make a donation, visit their website: www.FundacionMIR.org
To make a donation contact the MIR office in Casa de Campo (809-523-8270) or in West Palm Beach (561-366-5095). Donations are tax deductible for US Citizens!
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