Château Gaby
Setting out for a run around the vineyards of Fronsac, I was unprepared for the glorious views my route would take in. Having endured a fairly demanding climb from the clay-rich soils of the palus up the steep limestone côte, I soon found myself cruising along the crest of the limestone plateau. The day was getting on, although it was still warm and bright, and below me there was spread out a blanket of vines, among which there were dotted some fine-looking châteaux. Beyond I could see the glistening waters of the Dordogne, shimmering in the early-evening sunlight. It was a spectacular sight.
As I continued along the crest, I began to approach an unfamiliar château, smaller than the imposing Château de La Dauphine which sat at the foot of the slope below, but no less elegant for its understated presence. This château sat right on the edge of the plateau, its vineyards falling away in front of it, down to the valley floor below. As I approached I saw it was Château Gaby, a name more familiar than its appearance. A long-established estate with a history that stretches back centuries, I recalled that at some point recently it had been in the hands of Antoine and Jana Khayat, the latter heiress to Garry Weston’s retail empire and chairman of Fortnum & Mason’s. But what, I wondered to myself, had happened to it since? Little did I realise that just a year or so later I would be tasting its wines with its new owner, billionaire Tom Sullivan.
