Château Masburel, a Bergerac estate that has links to the court of Louis XV and has been making wine since before the French Revolution, has been sold to a British buyer for an undisclosed fee.
Chris Walker has become the third British owner of Château Masburel, which was founded in 1740, according to the estate agency that brokered the deal, Vineyards-Bordeaux.
The 33.4-hectare estate in Fougeyrolles produces Montravel appellation wines, as well as AOC Bergerac, and sits on a ridge of hills above the Dordogne river. It has 16.23ha of land under vine, with 75% of its production dedicated to red wine.
There are plans to renovate the Château with an eye on wine tourism.
‘We were looking for a vineyard which also had the potential to create good accommodation so that we can create a special place to hold events which will have a wine theme and experience,’ said Walker and Irma Lazickiene, who will be co-directors of the estate. ‘Watch this space,’ they said.
Masburel has two wings with eight bedrooms in total, plus a winery, a former barrel cellar, a separate cottage and a warehouse.
Vineyards-Bordeaux said that Walker has bought the Château from another British investor, Julian Robbins, via his SARL Masburel 1740 business and the deal includes wine stocks. Robbins bought the estate in 2008 from Olivia and Neil Donnan.
Masburel was originally bought in 1740 by Jean de Sambellie, a consul to the court of Louis XV and who planted vineyard on the south facing slopes of the property.
Vineyards-Bordeaux is an exclusive affiliate to Christie’s International Real Estate.
