Château Tour Seran
When Jean Guyon first set foot in the vineyards of Bordeaux few could have imagined his future relevance to the region, and to the Médoc appellation in particular. An accomplished figure in the world of interior design, working out of offices in Paris, Jean had become accustomed to the finer things in life. His interest in this regard had turned to business, and alongside his primary career Jean had already gained some experience trading in cigars and caviar. Perhaps wine was the natural next step?
This new venture began to take shape during the late 1980s, the first steps towards building up what would ultimately become an impressive portfolio of (almost – he has dipped a toe in St Emilion) exclusively Médoc vineyards. In 1989 Jean Guyon purchased 2.5 hectares of vines, and this was the beginning of what would become one of his powerhouse properties, Rollan de By. During the years that followed, the vineyard was gradually expanded, in piecemeal fashion, growing to at least twenty times its original size.
Along the way Jean Guyon began acquiring and developing other properties which were not absorbed into Rollan de By, but which maintained their separate identities. All these acquisitions were located in and around the hamlet of By, and such was the program of expansion that before long the majority of the properties in this corner of the Médoc – one notable exception being Château La Tour de By – were part of the Jean Guyon empire. Château Haut-Condissas was one, destined to become the Guyon flagship estate, as well as Château Greysac, Château La Clare, Château du Monthil, Château de By and Château Rose de By.
One of his earlier Médoc purchases is the subject of this profile, Château Tour Seran.
Origins
The history of Château Tour Seran dates back to at least the 17th century, and the very early spread of viticulture on the Médoc after the draining of the marshes by the Dutch. In the early years this land belonged to Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur (1697 – 1755), whos portrait is reproduced below, and who went by the moniker Prince des Vignes, a nom de plume bestowed upon him by the French monarch, Louis XV (1710 – 1774). The name partly reflected his flamboyant character, but also the fact he owned huge swathes of prime vineyard on the Médoc peninsula, including vines that would one day be part of the Lafite, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild and Calon-Ségur estates.
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