"The Culture of the earth is man's greatest work" wrote Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de Labrède et de Montesquieu (Labrède 1689-Paris 1755) in his book l'Esprit des Lois.

This gives an idea of the passion and rigor with which the famous philosopher managed his numerous estates and those of his wife, Jeanne de Lartigue.

Thus the magistrate abandoned his post in parliament in 1748 in order to devote himself to his lands in the Gironde that, in addition to his properties in Labrède and Martillac, in the heart of the Graves vineyards, were situated in the Entre-Deux-Mers.

In order to conserve and pass on his family heritage, he increased his lands around château Bisqueytan in 1750, the old fortress situated on the right bank, and purchased the picturesque Luzié mill in Saint Morillon.

He constantly oversaw the management of his lands, checking on harvests and his herds, clearing out land for vines and even taking part in the grape harvests. With the help of his talented agricultural friend, the Abbot Goasco, he constantly improved upon his grape varieties and the wines that he exported. Most of the wines were then made in the cellars of the beautiful château Raymond of the fortified farm of Rochemorin.

A la faveur de ses nombreux séjours à la cour, dans les salons parisiens ou auprès des diplomates étrangers, l'auteur des Lettres Persanes se révèle un précieux ambassadeur du pays de Guyenne dont "l'air, les raisins, les vins des bords de Garonne et l'humeur des Gascons sont d'excellents antidotes contre la mélancolie".