An encounter with a top winemaker—and a legendary wine

MANILA, Philippines — For or many wine enthusiasts, there is no greater thrill than opening a bottle of wine that critics unanimously claim to be one of the best made in recent decades. That this wine also happens to be produced by the oldest estate in Bordeaux only makes the event extra special.

Such was the case during a recent (and impromptu) visit to Manila by Jean Philippe Delmas, the winemaker and estate manager of the legendary Chateau Haut Brion in Graves, Bordeaux. Delmas was on his way to meet with top clients and distributors of Haut Brion in Bangkok, but the floods in the Thai capital forced him to divert his trip to Manila.

The Philippines has a dedicated and sophisticated core of Bordeaux collectors and aficionados (and since a couple of years ago, a local chapter of the elite Commanderie de Bordeaux), but compared to the wine markets of Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and China--ours is a small one.

Yet, despite its size, our proximity to China and the bigger Southeast Asian markets has always merited a brief stop-over for top Bordeaux wine producers like Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier and Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus, both of whom I’ve had the privilege of chatting with over dinner at Wine Story at the Fort.

But Chateau Haut Brion is a different story, so to speak. The estate is not only the oldest in the Bordeaux region, it is undisputedly among the finest. The estate is so prestigious, even casual wine drinkers will recognize the brand as among the elite first growths of Bordeaux.

For more experienced drinkers, Haut Brion is easily identified by its distinct aroma (tar, coffee and Havana cigar box notes) and unique mouth-feel (elegant, smooth and silky). The over-all impression one gets is a wine that is exquisitely harmonious and balanced–and consistently so regardless of whether it was a bad or good year in Bordeaux.

The man responsible for maintaining the quality of every Haut Brion vintage is Jean Philippe Delmas. Both his grandfather and father were winemakers of the estate and both have been credited for modernizing Haut Brion.

As a third generation winemaker, Jean Philippe continues to innovate with new technology but remains conscious about preserving the delicate and unique ecosystem or terroir. It’s not so much that he is an environmentalist, it’s just that Delmas knows, as previous winemakers over the centuries have known, that the true value of the estate lies in its soil.

“It’s unique, it’s one of the best example of the notion of terroir because the soil is stronger than the plants. So you don’t recognize the grape variety as much because the soil of the terroir is stronger,” he says. “It means that even if you taste some vintages with majority cabernet sauvignon or majority merlot, you have the same flavors and same signature.”

For sure, it takes more than good soil to create a legendary wine like Haut Brion and this is where the family experience of Jean Philippe is most valuable. Both vintages we tasted over dinner, a 1998 and 2003, reflect the Delmas’ respect for the terroir.

Again, the grape varietals aren’t the stars of the wine–it’s clearly the soil–or rather, the balancing act Delmas and his team have to do to create a wine that remains consistent regardless of the fruit and weather conditions at the time (even if this means limiting production). The best way to appreciate this approach to winemaking is by tasting one of the best Haut Brion of recent years.

Perhaps overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the Filipino guests for his wines, Jean Philippe agreed to have bottles of the 1989 vintage opened. 1989 was a stellar year for the estate earning unanimous praise from critics including the eminent Robert Parker who gave it a perfect score of 100 points.

On the nose and palate, the wine is quintessentially Haut Brion: complex, elegant and always with a velvety finish. For jaded wine drinkers, the 1989 Haut Brion makes you fall in love with red wine all over again.

Jean Philippe Delmas tells me he considers himself the luckiest man for being able to work for one of the most prestigious wine estates on the planet. I, on the other hand, consider myself one of the luckiest men for tasting what is already considered one of the legendary wines of recent times.