The history of Brown goes back almost one thousand years, with traces of vines here as early as the 12th century. Two centuries later, during the Hundred Years’ War between the Kingdoms of England (the Plantagenets) and France, Aquitaine and its vineyards were to remain in English hands for quite some time. Château Brown owes its name to a rich Scottish wine trader, John Lewis Brown, who settled in Bordeaux shortly after the Revolution, in 1795. The former Château Barrière officially took the name Château Brown at the end of the 18th century.
Despite its long history among the great Bordeaux wines, it was only at the end of the 20th century that Château Brown was finally restored to glory. Guided by cereals-industry businessman Bernard Barthe, who became its owner in 1994, the estate undertook a genuine renaissance with a programme of considerable investments in the vines and facilities. With the focus on wine quality, the first investments were made in the vineyard, replanting many plots, installing an underground drainage network, renovating and extending the buildings and buying in more barrels. The wines of Château Brown have built themselves a sound reputation and found their rightful place once again among winelovers’ cellars.