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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de La Rivière found its origins in the eighth century, when Charlemagne set up a watch tower on a Gallo-Roman promontory in 769. This watch post, designed to alert the military camp in Fronsac, marks the beginning of a strategic occupation of the site. The archives mention Gaston de l'Isle I as owner in 1260, followed by a succession of lords linked to the Franco-English conflicts, including Gaston de l'Isle II (pro-English in 1339) and Eyrin Aubert (1353), beneficiary of a donation by Guillaume Sans de Pommiers, Viscount de Fronsac.

The construction of the present castle was launched in 1553 by Gaston de l'Isle IV, Mayor of Bordeaux, and completed in 1572. The latter, married to Bonnaventure de Lur, died in 1579, leaving the estate to his daughter Jeanne. The castle then went through a tumultuous period: seized for debt in 1631, it was attributed in 1639 to Marthe Viaud, wife of Samuel Eusebe Campet de Saujon, thanks to the intervention of Cardinal de Richelieu. In the 18th century, Marie-Charlotte de Campet de Saujon, Countess de Boufflers, became its owner until his death in 1800, without direct heir in France.

In the 19th century, the castle changed hands several times. Purchased in 1802 by Sieur Labitte, it was sold in 1817 to Nicolas Antoine Massé de Cormeille, whose heirs retained it until 1880. Alexandre Massé de Cormeille, last descendant, bequeathed the estate to Victorine Gaboré (Madame Fuinel), who undertook major renovations with architect Duthoit, pupil of Viollet-le-Duc, between 1880 and 1891. Colonel Fuinel, her husband, died in 1897, followed by Madame Fuinel in 1904, marking the end of this lineage.

The 20th century saw the castle passed into the hands of several owners, including Jacques Paulin de Cazeuneuve (1899), René Mortier-Quarré (1903), and Émile Balluteaud (1925). In 1962, Jacques Borie became its owner before selling it to Jean Leprince in 1994. After his death in 2002, the estate was acquired in 2003 by James Grégoire and then in 2013 by Lam Kok, Chinese businessman. A tragic helicopter accident in December 2013 cost her son, Lam Kok, and James Grégoire, leaving the property to Madame Lau, widow of Lam Kok.

Today, the Château de La Rivière remains an active winery, producing AOC Fronsac wines on 65 hectares of vines. Its history, marked by turbulent successions and major renovations, makes it an architectural and historical testimony of the region. The site, open to visits, also attracts attention for its role in popular culture, as the location of the film Cocorico.

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