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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château Le Piat is a neoclassical style Chartreuse built in the 18th century in Tauriac, Gironde, on a 16th century building. Inspired by Victor Louis, architect of the Grand Theatre of Bordeaux, this monument reflects the influence of the Petit Trianon de Versailles. It was built by Jean Lespine for Joseph-Guillaume Peychaud, a Bordeaux merchant and member of the Bourse de Commerce, as a symbol of his social success. The estate, originally used as a summer residence, was also dedicated to viticulture in the town-coast designation.

The Peychaud family, bourgeois and influential, owned the castle from 1556 to 1853. Joseph-Guillaume Peychaud, nicknamed Milord, played a notable role in providing grain to Bourg during the famine of 1789. A letter from 1788 revealed his use as a resort for his family and friends. After a family division in 1825, the estate was sold in 1853 to the Castanet family, then passed on to their descendants, including Françoise Lisse and Jacques Lisse, before being bought in 2011 by Martine Lafon-Baillou.

The winery, with an area of 8 hectares, cultivates grape varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet franc and Malbec on argilocalcary soils facing south. The agricultural buildings, including the cudier and barn, bear witness to the traditional methods of pressura by gravitation. The castle, classified in the former province of Guyenne, is located 34 km from Bordeaux and crossed by the 45th parallel north. Its architecture and history make it an outstanding example of the wine and architectural heritage of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Jean Lespine, a master architect identified by an act of baptism of 1782, conceived the chartreuse in a Louis XVI style, combining elegance and functionality. The pediment of the building bears an inscription recalling its residential and ostentatious vocation. In 1980, the castle became a main residence, having served as a resort for two centuries. Today, it combines wine production and preservation of a historical heritage linked to the age of Bordeaux trade.

The Château Le Piat is cited in Jean-Paul Kauffmann's Voyage à Bordeaux (1989), which highlights its architectural purity and its versatile inspiration. The estate, unchanged since its creation, illustrates the continuity between winemaking past and modernity, while remaining anchored in the terroir of the city coast. Its history also reflects the social changes of Guyenne, from 18th century merchant families to contemporary owners.

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