THE HISTORY

The Romans, King Henry the IV, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Napoléon….the Chateau de Portets, its parish and port make up an important part of local heritage.

1000 B.C The Romans set up alongside the Garonne River and built the Port of Portets. After, they developed river trade, including viticulture which would bring about the notoriety of Portets.

1587 : Guillaume de Gascq took the lead of the castle. His family, the Gascq barons would stay head of the lordship for two centuries.

31 Juillet 1808 : Napoleon the 1st, back from Spain, visited Chateau de Portets before his ceremonial entrance in Bordeaux. There is a bronze plaque in the main courtyard of the Chateau in order to commemorate his visit.

1956 : Jules Theron, agronomy engineer and president of the General Council of Oran (Algeria) purchased the property. With the help of his son, he would invest considerable time and energy to renovate the derelict Chateau which had not been refurbished since the 2nd World War.

Until the 16th century : Chateau de Portets was a fortified castle governed by the Gascq barony.

1781 : The last heir of the Gascq family died, he would cede his property to Valdec de Lessart. In 1785, Valdec de Lessart sold the estate to the Seguineau de Lognac family which would remain the owner of the Chateau until the end of the 19th century.

1939-1945 : 2nd World War: Chateau de Portets was occupied by the Germans. At the end of the war, the place was abandoned in a dire state of disrepair.

Today : Marie-Hélène Yung-Théron, the granddaughter, works hard to enhance the property, the most imposing building in Portets, its vines, its wines and its history. Married to Rodolphe YUNG since 1998, they have two children, Charles and Paul. To this day, Château de Portets remains a family property, welcoming under its roof 3 generations. The family’s life is punctuated by the winemaking work, so much so that Charles decided to study agricultural engineering at the ESA school in Angers. Paul, on the other hand, prefers to move towards new horizons by going to a business school in Lille. Marie-Hélène has always encouraged her sons to follow their own path, and if that path leads them back to Portets one day, it will be a happy opportunity for her to pass on her passion. Rodolphe, her husband, through his work as a chartered accountant and winegrower, works every day on the family estate “Les Hauts de Palette”, making the wine but also providing valuable assistance in the commercial management of Portets wines.

In short, a growing family saga to tell!