Château Labégorce: Elisabeth Weltener
The main part of the estate first came to Elizabeth Weltener, and in her possession the wines were sold under the name Weltener rather than Labégorce. She stamped her authority on the estate in 1821 with the construction of an elegant three-story château, designed by Courcelles, one which still stands today, and is now the focus of the reunified Château Labégorce. After Weltener the property then passed to a gentleman named Pierre Capelle in 1832, who brought together this estate with the vines of Château La Tour de Mons, which he had acquired in 1824. From him the property then passed through a rapid succession of owners, including Barthélémy Vastapany (born 1805), and the name Weltener faded into distant memory, the estate regaining its reputation as Château Labégorce. It passed from him to Marcelin Clauzel (1824 – 1903) in 1857, who also had a share in Château Citran.
After the Clauzel family experienced some financial difficulties, in 1865 the property changed hands again, and this time the new owner was Fortuné Beaucourt. Twice elected mayor, Beaucourt brought some much-needed stability to the estate. He continued to tend the vines in a sensible fashion and he also undertook a remodelling of the château, this time in the style of Louis XVI, as designed by the famed architect Ernest Minvielle (1835 – 1914). He remained at the head of the property right through the end of the century, and it was not until 1918 that it then passed to the Rooryck family.
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