The wine-producing region of Château La Mission Haut-Brion belongs to the Pessac-Léognan appellation, to the north of the Graves wine-growing region. The nature of the gravel consists of small stones of various types of quartz, is a key element contributing to the particularly valuable wine-growing potential of the soil. The vineyard covers an area of 29 hectares (about 72 acres) with sub-soil consisting a mixture of clay and sand. Nearly 27 hectares are planted with red grape varieties and just over 3 hectares are devoted to white grape varieties found in the very best tastes of only Château La Mission Haut-Brion's wine creation.

Pessac-Léognan is a wine growing area and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, in the northern part of the Graves region of Bordeaux. Unlike most Bordeaux appellations, Pessac-Léognan is recognised for both red and (dry) white wine, although red wine is still predominant. It includes the only red-wine producer outside the Haut-Médoc classified in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, the premier cru Château Haut-Brion, and also all of the châteaux listed in the 1953/59 classification of Graves. These classed growths account for a third of the wine produced in Pessac-Léognan.