DOMAINE CLARENCE DILLON IS IN THE LEGACY BUSINESS
HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg on one of France’s oldest luxury companies and its unique approach to winemaking
Esquire: Domaine Clarence Dillon has quite a lineage, how did it begin?
HRH Prince Robert: “The company was started in 1935 by my great-grandfather, Clarence Dillon, the same year he acquired Château Haut-Brion. He was quite the Renaissance man, interested in everything from the culinary arts to wine. In 1983, we acquired the fabled neighbouring estate, Château La Mission Haut-Brion.”
Esquire: How has the company diversified since you took over in 1997?
HRH Prince Robert: “We’ve grown into different areas, including Le Clarence, a Michelin-starred Paris restaurant, which opened in 2015. Before this, in 2005, we founded wholesale company Clarence Dillon Wines, which operates all over the world. We also created Clarendelle, a family of seven premium Bordeaux wines. In 2015 we launched La Cave du Château (www.lcdc.wine), a retail and e-tail company focused on the finest terroirs of France.”
Esquire: What makes the Château Quintus estate so ideal for the top-quality wines?
HRH Prince Robert: “It’s the biodiversity and soils of the ground here. Its plateau and natural slopes are mainly made up of limestone and clay. We have a very strict selection policy in both our production and blending process. This has been greatly influenced by our work at Château Haut-Brion, but we had to be humble; we realised we needed to listen and learn from this new environment and terroir. After 10 years, I’m proud to say we’re getting the hang of it and producing phenomenal wines. The purpose with the creation of Quintus was to allow its exceptional terroir to shine through and create a new world reference for fine wine in Saint-Émilion. Hats off to our winemaking team, they’re doing a great job!”
Esquire: What do you look for in a good wine?
HRH Prince Robert: “With a truly exceptional wine, I’m looking to be deeply moved; to be stopped dead in my tracks and be almost breathless after my first sip. It might be the equivalent to a music aficionado hearing an extraordinary aria that takes their breath away. Nowadays, you can find a lot of good wines but we’re in the business of producing truly great wines.” Place your order at www.domaineclarencedillon.com