Château Haut-Brion

The Pontac Family

In 1550, Jean de Pontac built Château Haut-Brion

The Pontac family traces their origins to the small city of the same name in the Béarn region near Pau. The family history dates back to the 11^th century. As early as the 15^th century, the name Pontac is found associated with wine trading.

Arnaud I de Pontac, member of the bourgeoisie and a Bordeaux wine merchant was the patriarch and founder of the family fortune during the 15^th century.

Jean de Pontac (1488-1589). This son of Arnaud is the original founder and builder of Château Haut-Brion. At the age of 37, he married Jeanne de Bellon who brought a part of the Haut-Brion domaine in her dowry. During the course of his three marriages, the last begun at the age of 76, fifteen children were born.

As the years passed, Jean acquired parcels of the surrounding land thereby enlarging the Haut-Brion acreage. In 1550, he began construction of the château. His sole purpose was the exploiting the vineyards.

Jean died at the age of 101, and his unusually long life spanned the reigns of Louis XII, François I, Henri II, Charles IX and Henri III.

Arnaud II

Arnaud II de Pontac (1530-1605), fourth son of Jean inherited the domain at the age of fifty-nine. Ordained a priest when he was only twenty-seven, he went on to become the Bishop of Bazas. His name was legendary in the region. He was a charitable man who spent a large part of his fortune restoring the cathedral and trying to alleviate the general poverty. Local lore has it that his funeral cortege was fifteen kilometers long.

Geoffroy de Pontac (1576-1649). At the time of the death of his uncle, Arnaud II, Geoffroy was already residing at Château Haut-Brion. A man of the 17th century, he lived like the great members of the court. He built a magnificent home named the "Daurade", and decorated it with gilding and gold. The splendor of the residence attested to the already great commercial success enjoyed by Haut-Brion wine at this time.

Arnaud III de Pontac (1599-1681). Arnaud III led a life as luxurious as that of his father. His marriage to the daughter of the president of the Parliament of Paris brought him still greater prestige. It also gave him a connection to the Parliament of Bordeaux. He eventually became the first President of the Parliament of Guyenne.

Because of him, Haut-Brion developed its reputation in England. He was the first to understand the importance of the English market, despite the wars and other problems between the two realms.

Arnaud III

François-Auguste de Pontac (1636-1694) was the last Pontac to own Haut-Brion through direct inheritance.

He served as President of the parliament in Bordeaux in 1653, however his activities in London (for the prestige of Haut-Brion) became more important than his time in Bordeaux. In 1666, he opened a tavern in London called the "Enseigne de Pontac", which became "...the most fashionable place in London..." in its time.

Because he was so often absent, François-Auguste left his manager Bertrand Dubut in charge. Dubut took care of the domain with few technical resources. He introduced the techniques of racking and fining.

François-Auguste lived a life so rich and careless that the château was repossessed twice in order to pay his debts. He was eventually able to save his property thanks to both his influence and that of his wife, Félicie de Crussol d'Uzès. At his death, his debts passed to his sister Thérèse, as he left no children.

Thérèse de Pontac. Thérèse inherited two-thirds of Haut-Brion. The last third became the property of Louis-Arnaud Lecomte, baron of Tresne, nephew of François-Auguste. In 1654, Thérèse married Jean-Denis d'Aulède de Lestonnac. Curiously, Jean-Denis died only eighteen days after inheriting Haut-Brion from his wife.

His son, François-Delphin d'Aulède de Lestonnac, (baron and then marquis) became Lord, first of Margaux, and then of Haut-Brion.

After the death of François-Delphin in 1746, his sister Catherine d'Aulede de Lestonnac, widow of François-Joseph de Fumel since 1688, inherited the property.