A term frequently used in France for a part of a wine-growing region (haut = high or top, bas = low or bottom). This is not a legal wine quality level, but a geographical designation. However, the term does not necessarily refer to sea level, but in the Médoc, for example, means "upstream" in Haut-Médoc as opposed to "downstream" in Bas-Médoc.
The wines from Haut-Médoc are considered to be better. The same applies to Haut-Rhin as opposed to Bas-Rhin in Alsace. In the Armagnac region, however, the brandy from Bas-Armagnac is considered better as an exception to this rule. In the Middle Ages, Haut-Pays was a common name (Ober-Land) for a large area in south-west France, which was understood to mean the entire "Bordeaux hinterland" (at that time inferior to Bordeaux).
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Roman Horvath MW
Domäne Wachau (Wachau)