Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The cellar of Lagueloup Castle, built in the fourth quarter of the 19th century in Portets (New Aquitaine), illustrates the wine innovation of the period. Organized in a quadrilateral of 1650 m2 per level, it follows the model of the medocaine cellar with two floors dedicated to vinification and an underground level of vats. Its eight 300 hectolitre tanks in tiled concrete, its Decauville tracks for the transport of grapes, and its electrical system on rails ( 1930s) bear witness to a rare modernity. The ground floor, still active, houses a barricade cellar (600 units) and a semi-entered bottle cellar with metal shelves. A 1928 machinery, still in place, and six 500 hectolitre underground tanks (including four functional ones) complete the whole, powered by an original water supply.

Restored in 2001, the central cellar is now a wine and vine museum, exhibiting tools from the 19th to 20th centuries and archives of Descacq families and Severac, former owners. The estate, crossed by historic canals, also includes a renovated 17th century house, stables, and a horse swimming pool. The cellar, listed as Monument Historique in 2018, embodies the technical evolution of the girondin vineyards, especially the Graves, while maintaining its productive role: part of the equipment of 1928 remains used for cubing and storage.

The architecture combines metal structure (columns, beams) and reinforced concrete, with curved openings and double doors to regulate temperature. The wooden porch in front of the central spans precedes a modern staircase leading to the museum. The restored south-west span now welcomes the public for tastings and sales. This cellar, designed by engineer Samuel Wolff, is distinguished by its industrial scale and exceptional preservation, offering a tangible testimony of wine-growing practices between the 19th and 20th centuries.

The site, known since Antiquity, is part of a wine landscape marked by redeveloped ponds and wash houses. Its inscription in the title of Historical Monuments underlines its heritage importance, both as a production tool and as a place of memory of regional oenological techniques. The collection of tools and documents, coupled with the still operational facilities, makes it a unique site to understand the history of wine in Gironde.

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