CENTURIES-OLD SETTING
Surrounded by walls, the estate’s existence seems
to have been sheltered from the sometimes bumpy
course of history. There have been no setbacks here
with the passing of generations: the people may change,
but an almost miraculous continuity prevails.
In 1584, Jean de Pontac, the lord of Haut-Brion, donated several acres of meadows and vines to the Carmelite Order. This show of favour doubtless had a hint of predestination about it: the members of the congregation took their name from Mount Carmel, which literally means ‘God’s vineyard’. They cared for the land for nearly two centuries, showing the same devotion in both their penance and their wine production.
After being confiscated during the French Revolution, the estate was purchased by the Léon Colin family in 1840. Their descendants the Chantecailles put years of work into enhancing the property, adding a chateau and landscaped grounds, before selling it to Patrice Pichet in 2010. From one family to the next, these limited changes of ownership have helped to preserve the spirit and magic of the site.
