History

Château Jacques Blanc is located close to the medieval village of Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse, one of eight communities that constituted the jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion from as early as 1289. Even in those ancient times, the jurisdiction was well known for the production of its excellent wines. Its unique soil in combination with a climate that is characterized by warm summers and relatively mild winters led to optimal conditions for the production of high quality red wines, which is still the case today.

To trace the origins of the Château itself, we have to take a closer look at one of France's most significant and devastating periods in its history : the Hundred Years' War. Coming to an end in 1453 with the Battle of Castillon, only a few miles away from Jacques Blanc's current position, it not only united France for the first time under a French King without any influence from abroad but it also left large regions completely depopulated. One of these regions was the old jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion....

It was in these dark times that a new day dawned. Slowly but surely the area began to be repopulated by people from other regions of South-Western France. The settlers gave their names to the places they occupied and amongst them was a certain Jacques Blanc. Although practically nothing is known about the person himself, he certainly had a long lasting impact by re-establishing the current site of the Château and giving it his name. The Blanc family prospered well and lived at the Château for hundreds of years, a text from 1642 for instance talks about a Marie Blanc that lived at "the village Jacques Blanc" and another source writes that "in 1667 Helie Blanc was born there".

At the end of the 18th century, a new owner arrives in our Chateaux’s history. A certain Guillaume Belliquet, born in 1767, a Knight of the Legion of Honour. He can be credited for laying the groundwork for a period that would last until 1930. In 1898 under the rule of one of his descendants, Mr. Saint-Brice-Belliquet, Château Jacques Blanc becomes one of the most important producers of the Appellation Saint-Émilion. The famous Guide Ferret writes in its 1898 edition :

“The Domaine of Jacques-Blanc, located between Castillon and Saint-Émilion,
has been completely reconstructed in 1889.
It produces a remarkable wine as far as colour and finesse are concerned”

 

In 1922 the Guide writes :

  “The vineyard is without any doubt one of the largest of the Département de la Gironde…..
it produces a wine that is pleasant, has good aroma and disposes of a great finesse”

However, the crisis that engulfed France during the 1930's brought an end to the reign of the Belliquet family. The Château sees ownership changing hands a few times and during this process the surface area shrinks slowly to 21 hectares.

Under new ownership since 2012, Château Jacques Blanc has embarked on an ambitious investment program that will only be fully completed in 2021. Surface acreage in production has now risen again to a little over 27 hectares - more in line with the glory days of the 19th century. As for the wine, the pursuit of excellence with a view to the long history of the Château has not changed as can be observed by the awards won in many national and international tastings.

The Château itself, along with the winery and the storage areas are receiving substantial investment and rejuvenation. After the renovation the Château will be able to receive visitors by appointment, most probably as of late summer 2021.