A family

Château Mauvesin was originally built as a real fort with towers, machicolations and arrow slits. The estate was first acquired by Jean de Foix Grailly in 1457. At the end of the fifteenth century it became the property of the Rivière family and was to remain so for many years.

During the French Revolution of 1789, the domaine was seized and became National Property. It was only in 1792 that it was sold to Luc Clarcke de Dromantin, a lawyer who was in fact purchasing on behalf of the Le Blanc de Mauvesin family.

In 1853, the last Marquis of Mauvesin, Lodoïs Le Blanc de Mauvesin, commissioned the construction of the Château as we know it today. Following the sound advice of the architect Perrier, the Château was to be built in the Louis XIII style, made up of " two pavilions and two towers, combining elegance and solidity. A magnificent garden stretches in front of the façade, with a water feature and a beautiful collection of conifers."

In 1884, the Marquis Lodoïs Le Blanc de Mauvesin passed away leaving no descendants. It was thus his cousin, Hippolyte de Baritault du Carpia, who inherited the estate. The Baritault family kept the Château for four generations.

On 4th August 2011, the Viscount Alain de Baritault du Carpia sold the property to Lilian Barton Sartorius and her 2 children. The domaine's name was modified to Château Mauvesin Barton.

This 220-hectare estate, of which 55 hectares are under vine, has undergone extensive renovation. The unique essence of the Château has, however, remained totally unscathed.

Lilian Barton Sartorius, daughter of Anthony Barton, studied in England before beginning her career in a Bordeaux bank. She then went on to work two years in Hong Kong in a shipping company, "Les Chargeurs Réunis".

In 1978, at the age of 22, Lilian Barton joined her father in his wine merchant company. Shortly after, she obtained the DUAD, a university diploma of wine tasting.

Lilian and her father worked 30 years hand in hand, sharing the responsibilities of both the "Les Vins Fins Anthony Barton" wine merchant company and the family estates, Château Léoville Barton and Château Langoa Barton, (respectively 2^nd and 3rd Classified Growths in 1855) in the Saint-Julien appellation. Lilian Barton Sartorius has now taken over the management of the family châteaux and wine merchant activity, helped by her two children, Mélanie and Damien.

It was in 2011 that Lilian and her husband, Michel Sartorius, decided to purchase Château Mauvesin, a 220-hectare property in the Moulis appellation, which, as Lilian Barton Sartorius puts it, "has a real soul that envelops you when you visit, casting a spell as you discover the unique charm of the place."

With the Barton family's centuries of experience and expertise behind them, Lilian and her husband are aiming to offer their children (the tenth generation) a domaine of quality. The generations overlap smoothly allowing a true continuity over the years. The Bartons are one of the very rare families who have maintained ownership of their 2 properties since the 1855 classification.

Michel Sartorius, originally from the North of France, has been married to Lilian Barton since the eighties.

After many years of experience in sales management, Michel Sartorius began a new career as a wine merchant with Jean-Michel Cazes in the nineties. In 1999, he joined the family wine merchant company, "Les Vins Fins Anthony Barton" taking over the Sales management for France.

When he and his wife, Lilian Barton, decided to purchase Château Mauvesin in 2011,  Michel became very involved in this new family project. He now promotes the wine of the newly baptized Château Mauvesin Barton, managing the distribution and participating personally in wine events and professional tastings.

Mélanie Barton Sartorius, daughter of Lilian Barton Sartorius and Michel Sartorius, showed her interest in the wine world at a young age. Following a BTS technical diploma in viticulture and oenology, Mélanie studied Sciences of Vine and Wine at the University of Burgundy, and then returned to Bordeaux for the National Diploma of Oenology. Mélanie thus became the first officially qualified oenologist in the Barton family.

Joining the family project in 2013, Mélanie has brought her expert knowledge to Château Mauvesin Barton, taking over the technical management. One of her top priorities is quality development. She explains how she has "introduced a re-planting policy, progressively pulling out the vine plants and replacing with better quality rootstocks. Weeding has also been reduced as the soils are worked more now."

Mélanie works in close collaboration with the cellar master, Bruno Petit, to make Château Mauvesin Barton an elegant and well-balanced wine.

The beautiful stables at Château Mauvesin Barton bear witness to Mélanie's life-long love of horses. Apart from being an accomplished horsewoman, she is also a keen photographer and we are pleased to share some of her pictures here on the internet site.

Like his sister, Damien also began his studies with a BTS technical diploma in viticulture and oenology, going on to obtain a degree in administrative management and a Masters in management at the Kedge Business School. He graduated in Commerce and International Business in 2016.

With his dynamic personality and passion for wine, Damien shares his time between the three family properties and other innovative wine-producing projects. He is particularly involved in the commercialisation of Château Langoa Barton.

Beyond his passion for the wine world, Damien is a sports and model aircraft enthusiast. He is a keen competitor, participating in the French Championship in 2012 and regularly embracing the challenges of competitions both in France and abroad.