The history of the estate dates back to the 17th century, but the estate acquired its current name from Count Louis-Francois de Belcier who took ownership of the property at the end of the 18th century. He named the property Bellefont (“beautiful fountain”) after the many underground natural springs that existed under the vineyards of the estate that made cultivation possible. The Château has a fantastic circular vat room with a huge steel framed roof, reportedly designed by Gustave Eiffel.
In more recent history the winery was the first Château to be bought by a Chinese investor, in 2012. Since then the property changed ownership on numerous occasions before most recently being bought by Peter Kwok in 2017. Kwok is the founder of Vignobles K which owns a number of prestigious estates in Bordeaux including Château Tour Saint-Christophe in Saint-Émilion and Enclos Tourmaline in Pomerol.
Peter Kwok who initially earned his fortune in banking is a great lover of French culture. Growing up in Saigon in Vietnam he developed a love of French architecture and dreamt of owning properties in France. He made his first acquisition in 1997 when he purchased Château Haut-Brisson. Since then he has continued to buy up properties around Bordeaux, the new flagship being Château Bellefont-Belcier, situated on the south facing Pavie slope next to Château Larcis Ducasse.
Château Bellefont-Belcier was awarded Grand Cru Classé status in 2006. In 2019 the French government awarded Peter Kwok their most prestigious distinction, appointing him an Officer of the Legion of Honor.
