Built in the 18th Century, the property that is now Maison 1899 once belonged to the prominent Ginestet family. The property remained in their ownership for 110 years.

The Ginestet family have been wine traders since the 1890s. Headed by the patriarch Fernand Ginestet, who was also a co-owner of Château Margaux and owner of Château Cos d’Estournel, the family had set up their négociant business at 81 Cours St-Louis in 1899, an 8-minute car ride from the house.

1899 was an auspicious year for Bordeaux. It was one of a pair of high-quality, prolific vintages, very much like today’s 1989 or 1990. It was also proof that despite phylloxera, which had hit Bordeaux in 1875 to 1892, Bordeaux could still produce exceptional vintages that combined quantity with high quality.

In 2020, the ownership of the house was transferred to a dear friend of a descendant of the Ginestet family, an avid wine collector who is devoted to the perpetuation of the Bordeaux wine trade.