Le Souley through the years
During the 17th century, noble families pride themselves to own a property in the Bordeaux region and to own a vineyard.
A gentleman of the area, F. de Chadirac, creates his estate in Vertheuil around 1616. He got famous for his novel « Uranie de Lucidor » published by Vernoy in Bordeaux.
His son Jean de Chadirac, Councelor at the Marble Table of Louis XV, succeeds to him after a turbulent youuth and settles at Le Souley. The estate is then called "Grand Medoc" and "Latour Souley" later on.
J. de Chadirac dies on 5th of May 1725, assisted during the religious ceremony, as he could not speak, by the 2 priests of the village, Beneyt & Lasserre (Arnaud). As a lord he is buried in the St Peter church between the altars of Virgin Mary and St James. He had no children.
19th century
It was told to the dean (of Le Souley estate) that the property had been bought by the Courcelles family and that a grand mother had written in her diary "big fires are lit at Le Souley…"
In 1839, Mr Vincent Grenier bought Latour Souley from the heirs of Chadirac.
In 1877, when his son-in-law dies, Alphonse Moreau Grenier who was previously mayor of Pauillac, succeeds to him. He is a skillful wine grower. His wine is famous all over Holland, Belgium and the Flanders.
At the mercy of heritages, the estate got split…
On one side, Latour Souley, without vineyards, and Le Souley on the other side who became Le Souley Sainte-Croix upon a huge religious feast, and kept the vineyard.
As for Latour Souley, it went through fortunes and misfortunes.
A prospercous time followed with Mr Carsoul, a Bordeaux wine merchant, for Le Souley was then renowned for its centennial and mossy vines.
The estate was then sold and sold again to different owners of all kinds.
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Recent history
At the end of 1958, the Riffaud family bought it as it was: ruined, discredited, its vines needing to be uprooted, its buildings in bad condition.
Then, the Riffaud family went through 40 years of struggles and endless difficulties in order to put together the vineyard again, to restore the roofing and the buildings and to renovate the equipment.
The Riffaud famiily belongs now to the history of Vertheuil and rules over the oldest winery of the village, it was recently celebrated during the "Nuit du Patrimoine" (night of the town heritage) with candlelit illuminations, hunting horns concert and a large audience.
Nowadays the family is proud to have a place of honor in Vertheuil.
A tribe devoted to wine
"Les Riffaud" became a small tribe.
The dean, Mrs Riffaud is almost 100 years old... Her son, Jean succeeded to his father Paul. He manages Le Souley with his wife Marie Jose and they are helped by their 3 children:
Frederic the eldest is the master of the wine cellar; Vincent, the second son takes care of the equipment, machines and building works, as for the youngest, Jean-Baptiste, he is dedicated to the vineyard.
The vineyard is a strong link between everybody, a link of life.
As time goes by, Paul, the grand father died; each son started a family: Frederic married Karin who gave him 2 children; Giulia and Jules, Vincent and Nathalie just had a little boy named Paul. Jean-Baptiste married Magalie on September 2005.
Here is the long, long story of Le Souley throughout the times with their glorious and harmful changes.
In our turn to come on the scene with the difficulties of our time.
We thank you for the confidence you put in Le Souley Sainte-Croix estate, its soil, its wine and the family who runs it and loves it with passion! |
