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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château d'Agassac, located in Ludon-Médoc (Gironde), is a wine estate dating back to the first half of the 14th century. Its initial architecture, of feudal type with medieval fortifications, has evolved over the centuries, especially during reconstructions in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The castle, surrounded by ancient moats and cellars, has been listed as a historical monument since 2013. It bears witness to a history related to viticulture, with elegant cellars still in use today.

The seigneury of Agassac, covering 800 hectares in the 13th century, belonged to the Gaillard de Gassac family, vassal of King Edward I of England. In 1357 it was sold to Arnaud d'Albret, marking the beginning of a succession of noble families, including the Pommiers, who transformed the seigneury into a barony in the 17th century. The castle was damaged during the 17th century disturbances, especially during the conflicts between the Duke of Épernon and the Guyenne Parliament, before being repaired by the Pommiers family.

In the 19th century, the estate was acquired by Marcel Richier, pioneer of winemaking techniques such as wire meshing. In 1961, the Capbern-Gasqueton family, already owner of Bordeaux wine, bought Agassac before he passed into the hands of Groupama in 1996, then Gérard Jicquel in 2021. The terroir, composed of serious garonnaises and Gunziennes, produces wines classified among the Superior Bourgeois Crus, then Exceptional in 2020.

The castle, square plan with angle turrets, retains defensive elements such as murderers and a circular dovecote. Its historic cellars, coupled with rectangular buildings, illustrate the evolution of wine-growing practices since the Middle Ages. Today, the estate combines architectural heritage and oenological excellence, with manual harvests and barrel farming for wines exported worldwide.

The local legend evokes a Latin inscription attributing the building of the castle in the 18th century, but the archives confirm its existence as early as the 13th century. The marshes of the Médoc, dried up in the seventeenth century, revealed terroirs suitable for vines, allowing Agassac to become one of the first vineyards of the Haut-Médoc, fifteen minutes from Bordeaux. The estate, private, remains a symbol of the wine and seigneurial heritage of the region.

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