Château de Malleret

The château gets its name from its owner in 1597, Pierre de Malleret, an equerry knighted by Louis XIV. It was bought by Monsieur de Basterot, who had the rustic home demolished and a lovely manor house built. From 1728 to 1839, great families of Bordeaux nobility succeeded each other, including Jacques Clarke who gave his name to Château Clarke and the wine trader Jean-Jacques Barthez, whose name is still used for one of the wines made at the château. From 1839 to 1857, Jean-Francois Sicard replanted and rebuilt the vineyard, enlarging it to 22 hectares. But the rebirth of Malleret and its entry into the contemporary era began with his successor, Philippe Frédéric Clossman, an important Bordeaux trader. It was he who had the château built as it is now and landscaped the ground. His son, Paul Clossman, took over the helm after him. On his many trips to England, he would not only sell his wines but also developed a passion for breeding racehorses and hunting with hounds and set up a stud farm which would eventually produce some of Europe's greatest champions. Today, this stud farm is still in place, making this château one of Bordeaux's most unique.