In Chateau Haut-Brion, Clarence Dillon found not only the charm of an elegant and fabled estate, but also the opportunity of a lifetime. He discovered a tarnished jewel. This estate had sparkled for centuries prior to these difficult times and yet in 1934, Mr. Gibert, the current owner, had not been successful in his bid to give the estate away to the town of Bordeaux because of the high maintenance costs and meagre returns.
The estate needed someone of passion and means to allow it to weather the storm. Clarence Dillon immediately entered into negotiations to acquire the estate and requested that his Paris office continue these on his departure by ship to the United States. On board the ship during the crossing he received a telegram which read "You may acquire Chateau Haut-Brion if we act fast." His two word answer was "Act Fast!" This short and decisive response was the beginning of a long family commitment to this estate and to the wines of Bordeaux.
Clarendelle's name thus pays homage to the ancestor who brought the family to this region. In creating Clarendelle the team from Clarence Dillon Wines and their colleagues at Domaine Clarence Dillon, wish to discover and extract the best from the enormous potential and savoir-faire that this region and terroir provide. They already benefit from centuries of acquired knowledge and will aim to produce wines worthy and representative of their heritage and provenance.
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