1972
The first bottle of Saint-Estèphe to bear the name of ``Château Petit Bocq`` was produced in 1972. Born on an estate that was just under two hectares, facing the Gironde estuary, nestled between the hamlets of ``Le Puy`` and ``Marbuzet``, the wine showcased the finesse of Merlot grapes which largely dominated the blend at the time (80%). The owner of Château Petit Bocq, Francis Souquet, an experienced winemaker and connoisseur of the Médoc’s terroirs, was none other than the head of vineyard management at Château Ducru Beaucaillou, listed as Saint-Julien 2ème Grand Cru Classé. Although its undeniable quality was already praised by the likes of Ginestet and Parker, Petit Bocq couldn’t aspire to be listed as Cru Bourgeois, as the production was too recent, too small and too modest.
1993
The estate was acquired in August 1993 by Dr. Gaetan Lagneaux, a great wine enthusiast since his teenage years. He worked tirelessly and very diligently to expand the vineyard and improve the quality of the wine. Year after year, the property kept growing through the acquisition or takeover of old vine plots, most of which used to belong to co-operators of the Marquis de Saint-Estèphe winery. This is how Petit Bocq’s estate managed to grow from 1.30 ha of vines in 1993 to 19.41 ha now.
2003
Château Petit Bocq was included in the Cru Bourgeois Supérieur ranking in 2003. Its label was redesigned and this is when the iconic ladybug appeared for the first time, a lucky charm of sorts that is still featured today. The 2003 ranking was annulled by a court decision following a formal complaint filed by some winemakers who hadn’t made the list, but the Cru Bourgeois classification was reintroduced in 2009 and Château Petit Bocq is proud to be in it.
2012
Dr. Gaetan Lagneaux dies prematurely at age 50. His father Jacques Lagneaux takes over.
2018
Now under a brand new team, Château Petit Bocq keeps working to fine-tune both its wine-growing and wine-making techniques, creating a bright future for the estate, while carrying on the legacy of its illustrious founder.