Though not native Bordelais, the Larrieu family was extremely effectual in the evolution of Haut-Brion wines. They enlarged and consolidated the domain. Their efforts were repaid in 1855 when Château Haut-Brion was classified along with Châteaux Latour, Lafite and Margaux, as a premier grand cru. It was the only wine included in this classification of the Gironde that came from the Graves. The 1855 Classification is still referred to today.

He purchased Haut-Brion at an auction held on March 12, 1836. In 1841, he bought the third belonging to the Countess of Vergennes, daughter of the marquis of Catellan. For the first time since 1694, the domain was regrouped.

Joseph was rarely at Pessac, leaving Haut-Brion in the hands of capable managers. His strategy helped to put Château Haut-Brion among the first "grands crus" in 1855.

Amédée Larrieu (1807-1873). After studying law, Amédée spent two years in America, returning with "republican ideas". In 1848, he was elected as a moderate republican deputy.

Like his father, Amédée let employees manage the business. Following their advice, he modernized the chais and began to develop the English market.

Several natural disasters were responsible for limiting his success: oïdium in the 1850s, and then phylloxera. Both scourges went on to become the problem of his son.

Eugène Larrieu (1848-1896). Born in the château and an attorney like his father, Eugène nevertheless held opposite political views. A committed royalist, he established a military-like discipline to exploit the domain.

Eugène had two epidemics to deal with. The disease phylloxera attacked the Graves at the end of the 1880s. It was necessary to replace a large amount of the vines. Healthy plants were imported from America to replant the vineyard. Larrieu then fought against the spread of mildew.

Eugène died without a direct heir. Until 1922, several of his nephews owned the domain. In 1923 after many problems caused by the joint possession, Haut-Brion was taken over by the Banque d'Algérie. They in turn passed it on as "a golden handshake" to André Gibert. He was an eccentric character with a partiality for law suits and singular experiments in wine-making. He refused to sell through the Bordeaux trade. In 1934, old, childless and ill, he offered to give the château to the city of Bordeaux in exchange for a promise that they would preserve it forever. When the city turned him down Gibert, after months of negotiations, sold Haut-Brion to the Dillon Family.