IIt was a Parisian who created the Biston-Brillette estate in 1835, and it was the Barbarin family who rebuilt it after a few ups and downs. At the time, the locality of Brillette had become famous thanks to the creation of Château Brillette by the Dupérier de Larsan family, whose funeral ode, written by Malherbe, “Consolation à Dupérier,” was a bestseller of the time. In 1878, Château Biston-Brillette passed into the hands of Ulysse Daurat, who faced the formidable crisis of disease, powdery mildew and phylloxera, and its consequences.
When the Lagarde family acquired Biston-Brillette in 1936, the property was fragmented, but they bought back the titles of Château Biston-Brillette and Château Biston, as well as five hectares of vines linked to the history of the estate. Twenty-five years later, Christiane Lagarde married Michel Barbarin, and they had two sons, Serge and Jean-Paul. The parents started with a handful of hectares, expanding from 10 hectares in 1970 to 20 hectares in 2000, before passing it on to their children.
During this period, rich in fine vintages, the cellars were modernized, winemaking techniques became more precise, and Château Biston-Brillette wines found their place in fine restaurants and among the best wine merchants. At the same time, a loyal customer base was established, made up of wine lovers who were passionate about “artisan wines” and enjoyed direct contact with welcoming winemakers. Direct sales constitute the bulk of their business, and they have been pioneers in this field.
Today, environmental concerns have been integrated into farming methods, and the family estate has grown to 26 hectares. This size has allowed the family to continue working together. Guillaume, Jean-Paul’s son, joined the team after completing his studies in 2017. Then in 2024, Serge and Jean-Paul Barbarin sold their estate to Château de Malleret, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. This wine estate located in Pian-Médoc -managed by Paul Bordes- is also a family estate, driven by the same spirit as the Barbarin family. To ensure continuity, Guillaume Barbarin took charge of the vineyard and cellar, assisted by Kevin Gaillard, Technical Director at Malleret. The new team is now in place.

Forced to deal with the vagaries of the weather, we try to limit its impact and protect ourselves from late frosts, which are becoming increasingly frequent, with a water sprinkler system.

We have to work with nature. We are constantly vigilant, on the ball every day. Observation and experience guide us in bringing each harvest to fruition in the best possible conditions, which can sometimes be complicated. We take the necessary step back to make the right decisions, with the aim of achieving maximum phenolic ripeness in the fruit.

The winemaking facilities are close to the vineyards, so the harvest arrives at the vat room very quickly. After destemming, followed by manual pre-sorting to remove plant debris, the berries pass through an optical sorter that removes the least ripe grapes. The harvest is then sent to the vats assigned to each plot.

The modern and functional vat room allows for precise vinification, depending on the terroirs, grape varieties, and ripeness. This stage is both technical and instinctive because no vintage as a whole is like the previous one. Ultimately, we obtain a wine, our wine, that we want to share and toast with customers and friends. A classic, joyful, approachable, unsnobbish wine that stands up to comparison with its illustrious neighbors and remains an excellent ambassador for the estate and the appellation.

Biston-Brillette means little if we do not relate it to what precedes it. It is in slow motion that we are writing our own story as winegrowers. We are wary of the siren song and walk slowly, like all peasants. This is why we have never pushed the vines too much, on the contrary. This measured sensitivity allows us to approach the current period with a little serenity.

Our concerns revolve around the environment, global warming and inputs, for some even before these topics become passionate. Moreover, if you have to look for landmarks, part of our vines are located near the Natura 2000 zone.

We use appropriate organic and organo-mineral fertilizers, plant grass between the rows, weed mechanically underfoot, and replant hedges along the edges of the plots.

At each stage, whether in the vineyard or in the cellar, we engage in comprehensive reflection on these key areas to ensure we are moving in the right direction

I t is worth remembering that running a domain like ours is fundamentally artisanal, subject to too many chances for the part of chance to be reduced to the minimum. We deal with these hazards and try to limit their impact. For example, we protect ourselves from late frost episodes, which are becoming more and more frequent, with a water sprinkler system.
Let’s say we reap what we sow and what we have to do with nature. Vigilance is permanent, we are on the bridge every day. Observation and experience guide us to complete each harvest under the best conditions, and it can be complicated at times. As far as possible we harvest at the right time and thanks to our machine, very quickly. We know our plots and have been following them for many years. We have the necessary hindsight to make the necessary decisions, the objective being to maximize the phenolic maturity of the fruits.
The vinification facilities are close to the vines, the harvest arrives very quickly at the vat room. After destemming followed by manual pre-sorting to remove plant debris, the berries pass through the optical sorter which eliminates the less ripe grapes. The harvest is then sent to the vats assigned to plot monitoring.
The modern and functional vat room allows precise vinification, depending on the terroirs, grape varieties and maturity. This step is both technical and at the same time a lot of feeling because no vintage taken as a whole looks like the previous vintage. In the end, you get a wine, ours, that you want to share to cuddle with customers and friends. A classic, cheerful, outgoing wine, not snobbish, which stands up to its illustrious neighbors and remains an excellent ambassador for the estate and the appellation.