A HISTORY OF ROOTS
SINCE 1798
The historical turning point of the French Revolution witnessed a massive reorganisation of property. Not spared from this reform, the vast Château de Vayres’ estate was divided into smaller ones. Hence, Mr Régade, a notary by profession, acquired a 60-hectare property today called Château Toulouze.
In the 18th and 20th centuries, the current organization of wine production and the numerous appellation regimes did not exist. But, being considered the “second wines of Pomerol”, the estate wines benefit from an already recognized vintage quality. The first editions of Le Féret mention the quality of the Château’s terroir, thanks partly to the underlying iron oxide pan, which contributes to its distinct character.
Over the years, as successions took place, the wine estate downsized from 60 to 30 hectares. In the 1970s, Alain Cailley, a Parisian banker, took over the estate, which was then dedicated to breeding and hardly produced any wine. After the civil unrest throughout France in May 1968, Cailley’s decision to return to his roots was an attempt to live up to an ideal, make a dream come true, and fulfill a passion. He bought back the property with his brother, Yvon, and carried out great qualitative work with a profound respect for the terroir. Faithful to his original commitment, he will twice refuse the regional appellation’s approval, which he believes standardizes local production and devalues it. He thus set up a qualitative selective distribution network: from the Elysée Palace to the prestigious Parisian restaurants, from duty-free shops to major wine-importing markets.
Toulouse or Toulouze ?
The first records refer to the property’s name with an “s”, like the city of Toulouse, but some local archives mention it with a “z”. Alain Cailley imposed the current spelling of the Château to avoid confusion with the city and emphasize the regional patronymic characteristics.
With no descendants, the Cailley brothers handed over the Château to a family eager to continue the adventure begun in 1798. Having forged strong ties with the Cailley family, the new owners are determined to carry on the legacy of the Château in the traditions of the French art of living throughout the world. However, they do not start their story from a blank page; instead, they intend to write the sequel of this beautiful natural and human odyssey driven by the most genuine passion.
After modernizing the production tool, they began the rehabilitation of the chartreuse (charterhouse) to turn it into a reception hall for family reunions, friendly gatherings and customer events. The elegant residence, bordered by bodies of water and endowed with a park of rare tree species, will contribute to the influence of this French art of living to which they are strongly attached.
