Château Malescot St-Exupéry: Comte Jean-Baptiste
Comte Jean-Baptiste de St-Exupéry made his acquisition in 1827, bringing together the chartreuse and original vineyards, and to stamp his ownership on the estate he renamed it Château Malescot St-Exupéry. This was the same year he married Antoinette Lehoult (1804 – 1873), who gave him two sons, Fernand and Roger. It was Fernand’s line that gave rise to the famous author Antoine, as well as the historian Simone de St-Exupéry (1898 – 1978).
The Comte developed the estate considerably during his tenure, expanding the vineyard which absorbed vines from Château Loyac as well as those of Château La Colonie, a property which belonged to the his wife. In 1843 Jean-Baptiste died, leaving the domaine in the hands of his widow. It is said by some that she racked up some significant debts during her tenure, and as a consequence the property had to be sold. It thus came onto the market once more, in 1853.
Henri Fourcade
The estate was sold at auction, and the highest bidder was a banker named Henri Fourcade (1801 – 1866), who acquired the property for the tidy sum of 115,000 francs. The deed of sale describes in some detail the property’s ranking and extent, so we know that there were 25 hectares of vines planted here at the time, in a remarkable 111 separate parcels, in the communes of Avensan, Cantenac, Margaux and Soussans.
