A FAMILY HISTORY
From 1815 to 2006
The history of Montrose, written in two centuries by three families of owners, is depositary of their spirit, marked by their quest of excellence and legendary vintages. Pioneers in the Médoc, visionary builders and wise
managers, all these families knew how to work and valorise this unique terroir. The estate owes them the foundation on which Montrose builds its image today and its unique place in the world of exceptional wines.
THÉODORE DUMOULIN
THE PIONEER
On his father’s death, Etienne Théodore Dumoulin discovered the patch of heathland that everyone had forgotten about, sold to his family by Nicolas Alexandre de Ségur. That is when started the real history of Château Montrose, written by this “land-clearing man”. He planted the first vines in 1815 and built the necessary buildings for the wine making process.
In 1855, a wonderful consecration, Château Montrose was established as a Second Growth, a recognition all the more spectacular because it honoured a vineyard that was only 40 years old at the time.
Driven by this success, Etienne Théodore Dumoulin never ceased to expand his vineyard. When he died in 1861, he left to his heirs a vineyard of 95 hectares (234 acres), its current size.
MATHIEU DOLLFUS
THE BUILDER
Mathieu Dollfus, a factory owner from Alsace, acquired Montrose in 1866 and began to reorganise the estate. He redeveloped the existing buildings and built new ones, modernised the facilities and introduced new vinegrowing and winemaking methods. From the vineyard to the winery, he endowed Montrose with the best technology available at the time.
He was also a pioneer in human resources, creating ideal, unique and generous working and living conditions for his staff, including housing on the estate, free healthcare and profit sharing.
Designer of the “Montrose village” with its squares and streets, he had a huge influence on the life of the estate. A visionary entrepreneur, he managed to halt the scourge of phylloxera by installing a windturbine which pumped water from an underground well and flooded the land, saving the vineyard. The windturbine, preserved by successive generations of owners, is now one of the symbols of Montrose.
JEAN-LOUIS CHARMOLÜE
THE MANAGER
From 1896 to 2006, following in the footsteps of Mathieu Dollfus the builder after his death in 1886, the Charmolüe family guided the estate along the path of stability and excellence.
For over a century, with these managers at the helm, Montrose steadily enhanced its reputation. The estate regulary produced legendary vintages, maintaining consistently high quality even during difficult times.
Château Montrose remained in the Charmolüe family despite a severe economic crisis and two world wars. In 1960, Jean-Louis Charmolüe started to replant the vineyard and modernise the facilities, consolidating Montrose’s position as one of the finest Médoc wines.
