Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse: The Suduiraut Era
Shortly after the 1855 classification had been drawn up, in 1858, Edouard Duroy de Suduiraut died, the estate was bequeathed to Baron Pierre-Paulin-Marie-Alfred Duroy de Suduiraut, and it is at this time that the estate seems to be rechristened Ducasse-Grand-Puy, perhaps in honour of Alfred’s mother. Alfred passed the estate on to his children with his death in 1905, and under their direction by the 1920s the name had further evolved into the modern version, Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse. These times were hard though, as phylloxera had already passed through the vineyards, and the 20th century saw oidium, war and economic depression take their toll. There was little investment at this time; the area committed to vines contracted, and the amount of wine being produced began to tail off.
By 1932 ownership had changed, and the property was now under the direction of a new company, the Société Civile du Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse; it was being managed en fermage by the Bouteillier family, who were also the proprietors of Château Pichon-Baron at this time. This arrangement persisted for many years, and although the contraction of vineyards slowed it did not arrest. By 1949 the domaine had shrunk to 17 hectares, and by 1971 when Mestrezat took control, the estate was a shadow of its former self; there were now just 10 hectares of vines, lying in three distinct plots.
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