Why Does an English Tudor-Style Manor Stand Amid the Vineyards of the Médoc?

This series, having traced the Second Growth châteaux so far, now enters the story of the fourteen Third Growths. This one begins not with a mystery of the name, but with a mystery of the building.

In the chapter on the Five First Growths, we noted that the word château originally referred to the producer itself, and does not necessarily mean the estate takes the form of a castle. Cantenac Brown belongs to that minority. The manor house of this château, standing in the village of Cantenac, takes the form of a Neo-Tudor building with an English design. Why does a building of this appearance stand in the middle of the Bordeaux vineyards? The answer lies in the story of a Scottish-descended merchant who acquired this land in the early 19th century.

The Manor Built by a Man from Scotland

In 1806 (some sources say 1803), John Lewis Brown, a merchant of Scottish descent who was also a négociant and shipowner, acquired this estate. The origins of the estate go back further still, to the vineyard opened by Jacques Boyd in 1754. Brown was related to the Boyd family by marriage.

What Brown built was not a French-style château, but an English Tudor-style manor evoking his native Scotland. It is said to have been an architectural tribute to his own origins. The manor is also said to have 370 windows and doors, though this figure has not been confirmed in primary sources and remains a matter of tradition.

1843, the Year of Division, and a Misunderstanding About "the Painter"

A history that had seemed to proceed smoothly reached a turning point in 1843. Amid financial difficulties, the Boyd vineyard that had given the estate its origin was divided in two. The 58-hectare core — today's Cantenac Brown — is said to have been acquired by the banker Monsieur Gromard, and the adjoining 8 hectares — later named Château Boyd and now Boyd-Cantenac — by Monsieur Verrière. In the 1855 Classification, this estate was placed among the red wine Third Growths. The registered name had consistently been "Cantenac Brown" from the outset.

This château has another oft-told anecdote: that its founder, John Lewis Brown, was a painter of animals who was on close terms with Degas, Manet, and Toulouse-Lautrec. But the dates do not line up. The man remembered as a painter was the grandson who inherited the same name — a man of the same name who lived from 1829 to 1890. The founder, his grandfather, died in 1851, and his lifetime does not overlap with that of Toulouse-Lautrec, born in 1864. It was this grandson, said to have spent his childhood at this château, who was the animal painter who later moved among the Paris art world. The man who built the manor and the man who wielded the brush were different people, of different generations, who happened to share the same name.

The Le Lous Family, and a New Cellar Built Without Cement

Through the 20th century, the château continued on, changing owners along the way. The second wine was sold for many years under the name "Château Canuet," but from the 2001 vintage it was renamed "Brio de Cantenac Brown."

In December 2019, the Le Lous family acquired the château from Simon Halabi of the United Kingdom. Representing the family is Tristan Le Lous, an agronomist from the founding family of Urgo Group, the French adhesive-bandage manufacturer. At the time of the acquisition, José Sanfins, who had served as general manager since 1998, remained in his post, and the two ran the estate together.

In 2021, plans were announced for a new winemaking facility designed by the architect Philippe Madec. With a total floor area of 5,236 square meters, the building uses rammed-earth (raw-earth) construction employing no cement at all; work proceeded with the aim of completing it in time for the 2023 harvest, and it was completed that year. A 19th-century English-style manor and a 21st-century cellar born of the earth now stand side by side on the same estate. Then in 2026, the management structure shifted once more: Romain Courtier, an agronomist and winemaker from Burgundy, took over as the new general manager, succeeding Sanfins, who had led the château for many years.

Three Facts Worth Knowing

• It was a merchant, not a painter, who built the manor. The founder, John Lewis Brown, was a Scottish-descended négociant and shipowner who is said to have built the English Tudor-style manor as a tribute to his own origins. It was his grandson, who inherited the same name, who was later remembered as an animal painter on close terms with Degas and Manet.
• The 1843 division split the estate into two. The 58-hectare core (today's Cantenac Brown) is said to have been acquired by the banker Monsieur Gromard, and the adjoining 8 hectares (later Boyd-Cantenac) by Monsieur Verrière. The registered name had consistently been "Cantenac Brown" from the outset.
• The new cellar, completed in 2023, was built using rammed-earth construction that uses no cement at all. A 19th-century English-style manor and a 21st-century earthen building stand side by side on the same estate.