In the Middle Ages, as early as the 14th century, the ecclesiastic and nobiliary vineyards of the parish of Molinis (mills), the seat of the Haut-Médoc archpriesthood, were already recorded in ecclesiastic terriers and holding contracts. Although Moulis vineyards date back to mediaeval times, initially grouped around the church and the Poujeaux domain, they developed significantly from the 18th century only, despite the fact that in the previous century, winegrowing expansion had started from the outskirts of Bordeaux and stretched out as far as Margaux. While vineyards were being planted everywhere along the Garonne river, Moulis remained a “grain parish”, as it had been in mediaeval times. There were vineyards in the parish, but they were dotted among various large estates, focused on multiple cropping and animal husbandry.

The Biston growth was created in the 18th century by Mr Biston. Its wines were classified by the Guyenne Intendance in 1776. Later, in 1850, the first edition of the Féret mentions Biston among the leading Moulis wines. In 1860, Château Biston became Château Biston-Brillette, ranked 1st Cru Bourgeois Supérieur of Moulis. Since then, Château Biston-Brillette has remained in its ancestral position, even though the “adjuvants to growth brands”, as they were known during the Belle Epoque, are no longer governed by the same laws today.

During the 18th century, in heady economic times for Bordeaux wines, Mr Biston, who owned a few hectares of vines in the commune of Moulis, created his own growth. In the section entitled “Parishes behind those along the river”, in the wine classification drawn up by the Bordeaux Intendance in 1776, the Biston growth ranks among the first four historical growths of Moulis. The château of Mr Biston was then located across the road from the church, with adjacent vineyards. The price of a tun of Biston wine, from 300 to 240 French livres (the price level of a 5th Pauillac growth), shows that its quality was recognised by the Bordeaux trade. During the 19th century, the Biston growth continued to assert its prestigious origins. With some thirty hectares of vineyards since the Brillette outcrop was cleared, the growth produced 25 to 40 tuns of wine when the Napoleonic Land Register was drawn up in 1828. In the first edition of the Féret, in 1850, it was ranked 6th among the reputed growths of the Moulis Appellation. In 1860, its owner, Mrs Menessier, named it Cru Biston-Brillette. With the birth of a brand that became much sought-after by English customers, Biston-Brillette finally revealed the origins of its identity by becoming a First Cru Bourgeois Supérieur. Ulysse Daurat was awarded medals and recognition, and upheld the rank of Biston-Brillette among a handful of growths that were the elite of Moulis wines for centuries. From the end of the 19th century to the 20th century, in successive editions of the Féret, Château Biston-Brillette constantly maintained its position among the leading Moulis growths.

History of the family estate

In the 1930s, Château Biston-Brillette was divided into two parts, one belonging to the Hugon family and the other to the Labrunie family. In 1936, the Lagarde family purchased Château Biston-Brillette AND Château Biston brands as well as the 5 hectares of vines owned by the Labrunie family. A quarter of a century later, Christiane Lagarde married Michel Barbarin. The couple had two sons, Serge, in 1961, and Jean-Paul, in 1964. Starting out with a handful of hectares, Christiane and Michel Barbarin took the family estate to new heights. It took them 25 years to increase the vineyard size to 15 hectares and to restore the three-century-old brand of Château Biston-Brillette to its former glory.