The European aristocracy and the great bourgeois houses became enamored with the Muscat of Monbazillac. Even King Frederick II swore by it. So much so that in 1734, the Intendant of Guyenne worried: "The wines of this region have become so highly regarded in Holland that they have completely eclipsed the white wines of Langon (Sauternes)." At the end of the 18th century, the concept of cru emerged, along with the famous Dutch Brands, named after their first consumers: barrels destined for export were marked with the name of the cru. A guarantee of origin before its time. The Château Tirecul La Gravière brand featured the image of a pine tree (hence our Les Pins cuvée), as the vineyard is bordered by a maritime pine forest. No one knows the date of the "discovery" of Noble Rot. But as early as the 18th century, the best Monbazillac wines were sweet, fragrant, with a Muscat flavor. A la fin du XVIIIème siècle émerge la notion de cru, les fameuses Marques Hollandaises, en référence à leurs premiers consommateurs : les barriques destinées à l'exportation étaient marquées avec le nom du cru. Une garantie d'origine avant l'heure. La marque du Château Tirecul La Gravière était l'image d'un pin (D'où notre cuvée Les Pins), car le vignoble est surmonté d'un bois de pin maritime. Nul ne connaît la date de "découverte" de la Pourriture Noble. Mais dès le XVIIIème siècle les meilleurs crus de Monbazillac étaient des vins doux, parfumés, à la saveur muscat.