The Chateau
At the heart of the Barton family story since 1821...
The heart and soul of the Barton family are deeply rooted in this Saint Julien château and the secrets it conceals...
The Château was built in 1758 by Monsieur de Pontet. Beneath the private apartments lie the crypted vaulted cellars in which silence reigns eternal.The most renowned vintages of Léoville Barton are left to age in the peace and quiet of these cellars to reach their ultimate potential.
After the French Revolution, and thanks to the Droit d'Aubaine (Windfall Law) in France, Hugh Barton, an Irish merchant of Bordeaux wines, fulfilled his dream of becoming a landowner in Bordeaux when he purchased vineyards in the Médoc region. Pierre-Bernard de Pontet sold the ''Langoa'' estate to Hugh Barton in 1821 which the latter renamed ''Château Langoa Barton''. This was some time before the famous 1855 classification and it was in fact the building's architecture, elegant façade and harmonious proportions that won Hugh over.
Four years later, in 1826, Hugh purchased a quarter of the former Léoville domaine, the collapse of which was due in part to the French Revolution and in part to a complex inheritance settlement. In buying what would later become Léoville Barton, Hugh only actually purchased the domaine's vineyards since he had no need for the winemaking facilities, already having those at Langoa.