Portraits of winemakers

CHÂTEAU LES HAUTS DE PALETTE: AN ENDURING FAMILY HISTORY

Les Hauts de Palette: A Family Legacy in Winemaking

Origins of Les Hauts de Palette

The story of Les Hauts de Palette begins in 1962 when Charles Yung, together with his brother, acquires Château Haut Mondain, a 42-hectare vineyard in Gironde. Charles’s two children, Jean-Christophe and Rodolphe, soon join the family business, leading to an expansion of their wine estate.

Over the next 20 years, Charles and his brother acquire several other properties. By 1982, they decide to part ways. The elder brother, Charles, passes part of the assets to Jean-Christophe. After obtaining his BTS in viticulture and oenology, Jean-Christophe buys Château de Saintongey in 1993, a 15-hectare property in AOC Bordeaux. His wife, Cécile, joins him that same year.

Rodolphe, trained as an accountant and already involved in the business strategy, helps Jean-Christophe establish the distribution and trading company Les Hauts de Palette SARL, founded in 1999. In 2006, Rodolphe physically moves to the estate, although he continues to work as an accountant simultaneously.

The name Hauts de Palette reflects concepts of harmony, delicacy, and pleasure—core values that the family wishes to convey through their wines, explains Rodolphe.

Working in Harmony

Today, owning more than 150 hectares of vines across 8 estates, Jean-Christophe and Rodolphe work in harmony. They receive occasional assistance from their father, Charles, who remains actively involved in the business.

The responsibilities are divided equally between the two brothers: Jean-Christophe oversees the vineyards and winemaking, while Rodolphe handles marketing and administration, with help from his sister-in-law, Cécile.

Les Hauts de Palette’s portfolio includes four types of wines: red, rosé, white, and sweet. These wines span across 8 different appellations, including some of the most prestigious Bordeaux regions, such as Saint-Émilion for reds and Sauternes for sweet wines.

Award-Winning Wines

Well-exposed on a small plateau away from the Garonne fog, the vineyard at Château Les Hauts de Palette covers 30,000 vines. Located in the heart of the Beguey commune, its terroir produces complex red wines, such as the cuvée "Hauts de Palette."

Selected as a "Coup de Coeur" in the 2014 Hachette Guide, this expressive wine reveals spicy, refined, and toasty aromas, ideally paired with grilled red meat.

A Cuvee Awarded at the Oscars of Summer Bordeaux

Each wine in the Les Hauts de Palette range has its own distinctive character and a rich, varied terroir. This extensive range has garnered numerous accolades, including the gold medal for the 2015 cuvée "Vieilles Vignes" from Château Saintongey at the 2017 Japan Women’s Wine Awards.