Château LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY

With centuries of history, undertaken by various families of owners who have strived to glorify the estate and the fame of its wine. Beginning in the Middle Ages: the chateau’s porch and wall towers were built in the 13th century. The first known owner, Lord Raymond Peyraguey, built a fort around Peyraguey and began cultivating vines in 1618. In 1742, the estate was purchased by Nicolas Pierre de Pichard, advisor to the King and president of the Bordeaux parliament, who expanded the vineyard to nearly 30 hectares. The estate was sold at auction to Mr Lafaurie and Mr Mauros in 1796, with the latter giving up his portion to Pierre Lafaurie not long after. Peyraguey was the favourite wine of King Alfonso XII of Spain, ‘buying a barrel at the fantastic price of 6,000 gold francs’. Under Pierre Lafaurie the elder, the vineyard gained a reputation for excellence. It was granted recognition in the official 1855 classification, where Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey was named a Premier Cru Classé, ranking second in the list.

In 1865, Count Duchâtel – the former Minister of the Interior – modernised the technical winery facilities and renovated the chateau in Hispanic-Byzantine style. In 1917, the well-respected wine merchant Désiré Cordier was focusing on wine quality whilst others concentrated on volume. ‘Remarkable in its finesse, vigour and aromas, the wine produced on this estate is highly sought-after’, as is written in the wonderful volume Fine Wines of Bordeaux, published in 1939.

After restoring the estate to perfect condition, in 2014 the Suez group sold Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey to Silvio Denz, CEO of Lalique. This businessman from Basel was particularly sensitive to the estate’s rich history and commissioned a study by the historian Roland Kissling, a meticulous artisan of the archives. With Silvio Denz, a new chapter is beginning…It took four years of intensive work to enhance this magical site. The top priority was to preserve the location’s original identity and fit the aesthetics to the unique configuration of the existing buildings. This meant combining materials from the original era (giving the building its historical identity) with contemporary details setting it in the present.In order to preserve the soul of this historic building, Silvio Denz entrusted the renovation work to the talented interior designers Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli, who created the Lalique Maison collection of furniture and accessories. Similarly, the conservatory – a modern extension designed by renowned architect Mario Botta – does not adversely impact the harmonious beauty of the facade. Boasting a delicate metal frame, it blends into the decor, with the transparent glass walls serving to enhance the location’s restrained appearance.