In 1778 Etienne-Théodore Dumoulin bought a perfectly located plot overlooking the Gironde from the Calon estate, which belonged to Alexandre de Ségur at the time. The land was covered with heather and was a sea of pink flowers in the spring. Hence the name Montrose (Pink Mountain). His son Etienne initiated wine production, planting the vineyard and building Château Montrose in 1825; he gradually enlarged the property. Success quickly followed with the wine being made a second cru classé in the 1855 classification of the Médoc. The property then passed through a succession of hands before being acquired by Louis Charmolüe in 1896, who bought it from his father-in-law Jean Hostein (then the owner of Cos d'Estournel). This family retained control throughout the 20th century, during which time Montrose gained legendary status, in particular with the 1990 vintage. It was managed by Jean-Louis Charmolüe until 2006. A new chapter in its history then began with its purchase by Martin and Olivier Bouygues