Château Rauzan-Ségla: The Rauzan Dowries
Of the three brothers two had little interest in viticulture, and it was the youngest of the three who took on his late father’s title together with the responsibility for the vineyards. Thus the domaine was reunited as one by 1730, and from this reunified domaine a number of other modern-day estates began to emerge. The first was created when 14 hectares of vines went as a dowry to Jean-Baptiste Desmirail on the occasion of his wedding to a Rauzan daughter, Marguerite Rauzan du Ribail, and this – as you might have already guessed – was the beginning of Château Desmirail. Then in 1762 another Rauzan family member, Elisabeth Ledoulx d’Emplet, a niece to Jean Baptiste des Mesures de Rauzan, married François de Peguilhan de Larboust, Marquis de Terme. There are no prizes for guessing that the 30 hectares given as a dowry was the beginnings of the modern-day Château Marquis de Terme.
Shortly afterwards, in 1763, the estate was divided between Jean-Baptiste de Rauzan (1693 – 1780) and a nephew, Jean de Roulier, Sieur de Gassies. Even though these two halves had distinct proprietors, the Rauzan estate continued to function as one for a few more years. It was only with the marriage of the next generation Catherine Jacquette Clémentine de Rauzan (1762 – 1828) to Baron Pierre Louis de Ségla (died 1789) that the severance was made complete. It was, of course, this latter portion that became the modern-day Château Rauzan-Ségla, while the other part became Château Rauzan-Gassies. With Catherine’s death in 1828 it was her daughter, Marie-Anne de Ségla, the wife of Auguste de Génibrouse (born 1769), who inherited the property.
Please log in to continue reading: