A feminine signature.
Sincere emotion.
The legacy of Versailles.
A story of women and emotion
When I arrived in 2005, Château de La Dauphine was still in the early stages of its development.
Today, as Deputy Managing Director, it is with great affection that I see the estate where I grew up shine brighter with each vintage, thanks to the work of a team of 20 people.
Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail; these few words summarize the excellence we constantly strive to imbue the brand with.
Stéphanie BAROUSSE – Managing Director
LA DAUPHINE AND VERSAILLES,
A shared history
One Dauphine, two châteaux
Marie-Josèphe of Saxony was born in 1731 in Dresden, Germany. Daughter of the King of Poland, she married Louis, Dauphin of France, heir to Louis XV, in 1747. She then held the title of Dauphine of France. Gentle and brilliant, she was quickly appreciated at the Court of Versailles and by King Louis XV. The Dauphin of France, her husband, died young of tuberculosis, so she would not reign, but she became the mother of the last three kings of France: Louis XVI, Louis XVIII, and Charles X.
The wines of Fronsac at the Court of Versailles
Cardinal de Richelieu acquired the Duchy of Fronsac in 1634; the title of Duke was later passed to his grand-nephew, Louis-François-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, in the 18th century.
The Duke of Fronsac was a libertine and an assiduous courtier at the Château de Versailles. A bon vivant, he brought the wines produced by his Duchy of Fronsac to the king’s table. The wines of Fronsac then experienced great success among the nobility, becoming the most expensive wines in the kingdom! Their complexity was highlighted, as were their “therapeutic virtues.”
The shared past between Versailles and La Dauphine continues through the vintages
On April 15, 2019, the Château de Versailles officially reopened the apartments of the Dauphin & Dauphine of France. Other events followed in 2023, 2024, and still today, during which the wines of La Dauphine were honored.
Did you know?
The name Dauphine means Princess, thanks to Marie-Josèphe of Saxony (mother of Louis XVI).
In the 18th century, the BREM family owned the château. It was passed down from mother to daughter for over 200 years.
Even today, our history echoes this strong feminine imprint.
