Château Lanessan, just outside the commune of St. Julien, traces its history to the late 18th century when Jean Delbos, a Bordeaux wine merchant, bought vineyards. The estate remained in the family over the generations and today it is still owned by descendants of Jean Delbos, though winemaking has been handed over to Paz Espejo. Today there are 111 acres of vineyards planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Some 220,000 bottles of the flagship wine are produced annually. There is a second wine, Les Caleches de Lanessan. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that Lanessan is “an insider’s wine. Lanessan often makes wines of classified-growth quality that can keep for decades…This underrated Medoc consistently produces wines of fifth-growth quality.”