Château Branon in Pessac-Leognan dates to the 18th century but by the mid-20th century it had fallen into disrepair. In 1996 it was purchased by Sylvaine Garcin-Cathiard, part of the Garcin family of Vignobles Garcin. Daniel and Sylvaine Garcin-Cathiard are a brother and sister whose family owned a supermarket chain in the Alps, and in 1991 the pair started buying Bordeaux estates, including Branon, Château Barde-Haut and Château Smith Haut Lafite. The 19-acre Château Branon grows 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. About 6,000 bottles are produced a year. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called it “perhaps the first garage wine from the Graves region” and has rated some vintages at 96 pts.