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The presence of the familiy ‘de Fayet’ on the lands of Peychaud is known since the 15th century. In the following century, Jean de Fayet, Lord of Peychaut, was secretary of the French King IV.
It was around 1630 that the Marquis Mathieu de Fayet, then Councellor at the Bordeaux Parliament, built château Peychaud. The domain includes at that time 295 hectares of vines, meadows, cornfields and marshes. It was the perfect example of great estates in Bordeaux based on mixed cultivation with dominant vine cultivation.
Great-nephew of Voltaire, Charles de Dompierre d’Hornoy was in charge of the family estate in the second part of the 19th century. He was a major figure of the national politics and became Minister of the French Navy. He brought to the city of Ambarès a considerable influence, and to the lands of Peychaud a great expansion.
He enlarged the castle with two square pavilions and build new operating buildings and cellars. In his time, the vineyard has known a significant expansion; the harvests increased from 90 to 300 barrels.
And most importantly, he led the big fight against phylloxera. The location of the vineyard (between the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers) indeed allowed to use the possibility of flooding the vineyards, which saved the chateau Peychaud from this scourge.
The Admiral of Dompierre Hornoy created the blue label of chateau Peychaud as a tribute to the sea, which has since become the signature of our wines.
In the middle of the XXth century, the meadows of chateau Peychaud welcomed the Horse Show, which became the ‘Jumping of Bordeaux’. But the estate gradually loses its magnitude.
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It was not until the 1980s with the arrival of Count Jacques de Pontac, great-grand-son of the Admiral and descendant of the founder of the estate, so that the vineyard find again its glory.
Awarded of the Medal of the “Mérite Agricole”, Jacques de Pontacdevoted his entire life to the preservation and recognition of this familial, cultural and wine heritage, and to the re-birth of another family estate, château de MYRAT, Classified Great Growth of Sauternes in 1855 (www.chateaudemyrat.fr).
At chateau Peychaud, he fully restore the castle, enlarged the vineyard from 12 to 28 hectares, restore all the cellars. And widely opened the doors of the estate to the different local associations.
For Jacque de Pontac, wine was a language, a link; and he managed to create in thirty years a large clientele of wine lovers, loyal to the blue label…
Jacques de Pontac died in 2012, it was quite natural that his two daughters Slanie and Elisabeth decided to continue the family adventure at Château Peychaud, working in the vineyard, the cellar and marketing.
The history of Pontac follows that of Bordeaux wines. Indeed, it was in 1533 that Jean de Pontac founded the Haut-Brion estate intended for the exploitation of vines. He will live 101 years, having lived through the reigns of Louis XII, François I, Henri II Charles IX and Henri III.
A century later, his descendant Arnaud de Pontac invented the notion of ‘cru’ and well-defined terroir. In addition to being a skilled wine grower, he was a political savvy since he was appointed in 1660 First President of the Parliament of Bordeaux. A shrewd businessman, he decided to promote his estate and his high quality wines, and to export them to England (The Haut Brian was tasted at the ‘Pontac’s Head’ tavern in London) then throughout the ‘Europe.
Since then, members of the Pontac family have operated several properties in Bordeaux, Sauternes and Graves, including Château Peychaud and Château de Myrat, a Sauternes classified growth located in Barsac.
