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Origin and history

The Château de Bellet is an emblematic winery of Nice, anchored in the Bellet appellation, on the slopes of the Alpes-Maritimes. Founded in the 17th century by Antoine Dettat, a noble Lombard from Varese, it is part of a 60 hectare wine tradition. The estate played a key role in the recognition of the AOC Bellet, created in 1941, and remains associated with local historical events, such as the offering of wine to Cardinal Maurice de Savoie in 1642.

Over the centuries, property passed into the hands of Dettat-Doria heirs, then of the Kingssards after marriage alliances. In 1777, Jean-Pierre Roissard obtained the erection of the estate in Barony by King Victor-Amédée III of Sardinia. The family also marked the Niçois religious history: forced to sell the chapel Saint-Rose-de-Lima in 1786 after the ban on burials in church, it built a family crypt on the estate, followed in 1873 by the Chapel of the Kingssard, built in memory of Agnes Roissard, who died in diapers.

The 19th century saw Bellet's wine recognized for its medical virtues, as demonstrated by Baron Louis Durante in 1847, who described it as a tonic for stomach pain. The estate modernized in the 20th century, with a major replanting of the vineyard in 1956. His prestigious cuvées, such as the Red Chapel served at the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2011, or the Baron G range offered at international summits (G7, NATO), illustrate his influence. In 2012, the family initiated the organic conversion of the appellation before selling the vineyard, keeping the castle for private use.

The terroir of Bellet, located 300 metres above sea level on poudingue soils (mix of sand, clay and pebbles), benefits from a Mediterranean microclimate marked by mistral and tramontane. These conditions, coupled with native grape varieties such as rolle (white), braquet and black (red), give dry and aromatic wines. The estate, now reduced to 13 hectares (including 11 hectares in production), perpetuates ancestral wine-making know-how under strict specifications, inherited from the 1941 decree.

The Château de Bellet thus embodies the alliance between historical heritage, wine excellence and cultural influence. Its history, linked to the Nice nobility and the great local events, makes it a symbol of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, between tradition and modernity.

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