Château Poujeaux: The Theil Era
Philippe Castaing had in fact died in 1920 (it is possible that the 1922 Cocks et Féret was just a little behind the curve on this – it wouldn’t be the first time a deceased proprietor was listed as still in charge) and the property – or at least part of it – was soon to change hands once more. The incoming proprietor was named François Theil (1881 – 1950).
Like a number of newcomers to the region François Theil had come down to Bordeaux from Corrèze, in doing so following in the footsteps of the Borie, Moueix and Audy families, among others. In 1903 he bought Château Le Pape in Léognan, before then selling up in 1920 in order to finance his purchase of Château Poujeaux the following year. In truth he only bought one-third of the original estate though, that part of the Poujeaux estate which had belonged to the late Philippe Castaing. Thus he was in charge of one-third of the vineyard when all three properties were ranked in the 1932 Cru Bourgeois Classification.
Subsequently the other two-thirds of the estate were acquired by Jean Theil (1905 – 1981), François Theil’s son. He brought the Poujeaux vines belonging to the Jacmart family into the fold some time before 1942. The Marly vines had passed to the Thibaut family at some point, Château Poujeaux-Marly morphing into Château Poujeaux-Thibaut, and Jean acquired these in 1957. With all three parts reunited the estate returned to the name by which we know it today, Château Poujeaux. At this time there were 40 hectares of vines in production.
