History

The birth of Sauternes

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is a vineyard estate located in the heart of the Sauternes region on high ground near the village of Bommes.

The merits of its white dessert wines have been well known since the 1855 classification in which it ranked among the Sauternes Premier Crus. But the origins of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey are really much older than that. Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey’s oldest stones, cut from quarries in neighbouring Ciron, date from the 13th century.

The first known owner was Sieur Raymond Peyraguey, who settled in Bommes in 1618. He was referred to as a “rural bourgeois” by the historian Coudroy de Lille who considered him to be among those who tried their luck in the 17th century in “the great adventure with wines that, even if they weren’t dessert wines, had at least to taste sweet”, “ All around the property was land belonging to other “wine adventurers “ like Peyraguey but also to noble families, financiers, magistrates, lawyers and rich bourgeois, all of  whom contributed to the creation and then the boom in the wines of Sauternes.

1742

The second coming of Lafaurie-Peyraguey took place July 17, 1742, when Baron de Pichard purchased the property before Maître Lubos, a notary in Fargues. Pierre de Pichard, Baron des Saucats, was a member of the wealthy landed nobility as well as the judicial nobility since he was also an adviser to the Bordeaux parliament and owner of numerous estates including the prestigious properties of Lafite in Pauillac and Coutet in Barsac. Pichard should really be considered the founder of the estate, since it was he who first moved towards creating a profitable vineyard, methodically cultivated, with appropriate wine making installations that were adequately funded. On his death, the inventory showed a producing vineyard of almost 30 hectares, wine storage facilities containing five presses, two vats and numerous “wine vessels”.

1794

Pichard was guillotined in 1794. His properties were confiscated and each was classified as a “national asset”. Peyraguey, which, according to the old custom had become Pichard-Peyraguey, went the way of other properties and the vineyard was leased to a certain Vignon, a local wine grower, for the price of 21 quintals of rye.

Two years later, July 22, 1796, the Republic put on sale the “estate called Peyraguey and its buildings”. It was bought by Monsieur Lafaurie who lived in Preignac. The notarised deed showed that he paid 79,500 francs, of which only 16,500 were for the buildings, which were themselves, of considerable value. Under the influence of Monsieur Lafaurie, the quality and image of the wine rose to new heights and it seems that King Alphonso XII of Spain made Peyraguey his preferred wine. In 1837, Lafaurie gave Peyraguey to his two sons as a gift.

1855

In 1855, when the classification of Bordeaux wines - the immutable hierarchy of the grands crus of the Médoc and Sauternes – was made, Château Haut-Brion, was the only wine from the Graves region that was included. 60 Médoc crus were created by the Bordeaux brokers as well as 21 crus from Sauternes.

These latter were divided into three categories: one Premier Cru Supérieure (Château d’Yquem), Premier and Second Crus. Lafaurie was in the second group of nine Sauternes Premiers Crus

1865

In 1865, the widow Lafaurie sold the property to Comte Duchâtel, owner of Château Lagrange in Saint-Julien. The vineyard at that time covered 27 hectares and a dynamic investment policy was then put in place by the new owner. The improved business climate that the wines of Sauternes enjoyed at that time, permitted Comte Duchâtel to renew and modernise Lafaurie-Peyraguey. Between 1860 and 1870, a huge construction site transformed the building and the present architectural style was the result of this work. The entrance porch - dating from the 13th century and considered the oldest monument in the commune of Bommes – was preserved and strengthened. The château itself and the working buildings surrounding it were very carefully renovated.

Charles Duchâtel, King Louis-Philippe’s former minister of the interior and then member of the Institute, died in 1878. His grand-daughter, Charlotte de Trémoille inherited Lafaurie-Peyraguey under the guardianship of her father, the Duke of Trémoille, son in law of Duchâtel.

In 1879 the property was sold at auction to a company trading in fine wines, Farinel et Grédy, two négociants in business on the Quai des Chartrons in Bordeaux. After suffering first from the invasion of Bordeaux’ vineyards by phylloxera, starting in 1880, and mildew in 1882, they then had to endure significant times of crisis lasting about 30 years, when finally, their initial enthusiasm was extinguished.

1917

Désiré Cordier, a négociant and native of Lorraine, purchased Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey in the summer of 1917. He also became the owner of other renowned properties in Bordeaux, among them Château Gruaud-Larose and Château Talbot. When the war was over, Cordier established a business in Bordeaux that carries his name to this day. This business would handle the exclusive distribution of the wines of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey for more than 80 years. In 1984, the entire Cordier Group was sold to the Suez Group.

1998

From 1998 to 2004, an ambitious renovation program led to the restoration of the entire installation, cellars and château. The technical buildings were entirely updated to conform to new regulatory and environmental requirements. Now that the wine storage facilities are entirely climate and humidity controlled, the maturing of this Grand Vin takes place under optimal conditions.

The château has been restored to its former glory and is now in the finest condition for receiving wine lovers in the greatest comfort