[MANUSCRIT]. - Lot 20

[MANUSCRIT]. Book for carpenters, coopers and blacksmiths from 1763 to 1773; and 1794. Saint-Julien, Domaine de Léoville, 1763-18 frimaire an 3 [December 8, 1794]. - Manuscript in-4, stiff parchment, smooth spine, leather ties (period binding). Interesting account book concerning the Léoville estate in the Bordeaux region. In 1604, the Moytié family acquired land in Saint-Julien, forming Mont Moytié, a vineyard on the banks of the Gironde. In 1692, Jean-Pierre Dabadie purchased the seigneury of Lamarque, including the baronies of Beychevelle and Calon. In 1702, Jean de Moytié became tenant, then owner of part of Calon in 1704, renaming his estate Mont-Moytié. After the devastating frosts of 1709, the Médoc vineyards rebuilt and took off. When Jean de Moytié died in 1722, his daughter Jeanne, married to Blaise-Antoine Alexandre de Gascq, inherited the estate. He renamed it Léoville, modernized the property (trellising, noble grape varieties, winery, château) and increased its surface area to 120 hectares, making Léoville the largest estate in the Médoc. With no direct heirs, the estate was divided in 1769 between his nephews and nieces: Anne-Jeanne d'Abadie (1715-1768), wife of Pierre Gaston de Las Cases (?-1759), Jean-Pierre d'Abadie (1716-1776), Bernard (1725-1805) and Jean-Joseph (1717-1794), lord of Mont-Moytié. The estate remained jointly owned, and the wine was called either D'Abadie or Lionville. In 1794, the property of the Marquis de Las Cases (who had fled to Great Britain), representing a quarter of the estate, was confiscated (estimated at 200352 livres). In 1797, the estate was divided: one quarter remained in the hands of the State, and the remainder was shared between the heirs. In 1802, the confiscated quarter was sold to the Chevalier brothers and Jean-Baptiste Monbalon, giving rise to the Léoville-Chevalier and Léoville-Monbalon labels, in addition to Léoville-d'Abadie and Léoville Las Cases. In 1805, Pierre-Jean de Las Cases inherited his uncle's share and formed Léoville Las Cases (3/5 of the original estate). Hugh Barton bought Léoville-Monbalon in 1822, then Léoville-Chevalier in 1826, forming Léoville-Barton. In 1836, Jean-Marie de Poyferré de Cère bought out his sister-in-law's share, creating Léoville-Poyferré. In 1855, the three Léovilles (Las Cases, Barton, Poyferré) were classified together as second growths. Legal disputes between Léoville Las Cases and Léoville-Poyferré were not settled until 1880 (sources: abcduvin.com. Château Léoville). This manuscript covers the period 1763-1794, i.e. the last years before the death of Jeanne and Alexandre de Gascq, and the management of the estate by their nephews and nieces, and before its partial confiscation. It includes the accounts of the barrel makers, coopers and blacksmith for this period. Payments are recorded as having been made mainly to Mr. Dabadie, and in part to President de Gascq. The notebook consists of over a hundred pages of bound accounts, plus a dozen loose-leaf sheets. The craftsmen mentioned are, for the barrel carpenters and coopers: Jeantille and his son Jeantot (1764-1794), maître Goubeau or Gombeau (1784-1785), maître Gonda (1786), François Guillou (1787-1793), Grand Jannot (1789-1790), Jean Dumas (1791), and for the blacksmith Bernard, dit Reÿneau (1763-1778). These accounts were kept in the 1770s by a certain Javar, whose signature appears twice, on October 24, 1774 and November 6, 1776. This manuscript offers a unique insight into the economic and social life of the Léoville estate before the French Revolution. It details relations with local craftsmen - carpenters, coopers and blacksmiths - some of whom, like Jeantille and his son, worked for the estate for several decades. This archive reveals the day-to-day organization of the estate, the stability of know-how and the ability to adapt to crises, making this document a precious source for the social and viticultural history of the Bordeaux region. A very well preserved copy. Several leaves are missing.