Château de Curton is a castle

Castle

A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...

 located in the region Entre-deux-Mers in the department of Gironde

Gironde

For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...

 in the commune of Daignac

Daignac

Daignac is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.-Population:...

, and a Bordeaux wine

Bordeaux wine

A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...

ry producing wines classified as Bordeaux AOC

Bordeaux AOC

In the Bordeaux wine region there are seven regional Appellations d'origine contrôlée that may be used throughout the Gironde department. These are Bordeaux Rouge AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Blanc, a dry white, Bordeaux Supérieur Blanc, a sweet white,...

. The castle is situated on the edge of the town of Tizac-Curton, which takes its name from the first Seigneurs (lords) of Curton.

History

The earliest member of the Curton family documented in official texts is Raimond de Curton appearing in the 11th Century, appearing as a Lord from the beginning of the 12th Century. From the end of the 12th Century, Regin de Curton made ties with the English Royal Family, signing a treaty in London. In the 13th Century, the Curton Castle and its Lord, Amanieu de Curton appear in the records.

During the One Hundred Year War

At the beginning of the One Hundred Years War, Edward III of England asked Arnaud, Lord of Curton, to remain loyal to him and defend Guyenna against the French attacks. As a reward, he granted him jurisdiction over the four parishes around Château de Curton, Daignac, Espiet, Grézillac and Tizac de Curton.

Later, two descendants of the Lord of Curton became famous during the war, Petiton de Curton who was a knight, and Sennebrun de Curton who fought along Edward, the Black Prince

Edward, the Black Prince

Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....

.

At the beginning of the 15th Century, some sources state that the Lords of Curton went to England and are related to the present Cureton Family. The Château de Curton became the property of Louis de Beaumont before being captured by the French and was given to Jacques de Chabannes, Lord of Lapalice, who died in his new castle after becoming wounded at the Battle of Castillon

Battle of Castillon

The Battle of Castillon of 1453 was the last battle fought between the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War. It resulted in a decisive French victory.-Context:...

.

French Revolution

Château de Curton remained the property of the Family Chabannes de Lapalice. In 1563, Curton Castle was made a marquisat for François de Chabannes. The castle was confiscated during the French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

 and sold as national propert to Citizen Rabeau. From this time, it was passed on through successive sales and weddings.

Present

Since 1926, Château de Curton has been registered as a French National Monuments. It is a private property. Although there are no organized tour for visitors, the castle, a self catering apartment is equipped inside the castle and available for guest rental.

Winery

There are several types of wine produced, namely a Bordeaux Red wine AOC special vintage matured in oak barrel, a Bordeaux Red wine AOC, a Bordeaux Clairet AOC and a White wine.

The vineyard area, located across the villages of Daignac, Grezillac, Guillac and Lugaignac, consists of 42 hectares, of which 33 hectares are dedicated to red wine production, with the grape varieties of 85% Merlot

Merlot

Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...

, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...

, and 5% Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...

. 9 hectares hectares dedicated to white wine consist of 94% Sémillon

Sémillon

Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...

, 5% Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...

 and 1% Muscadelle

Muscadelle

Muscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated....

.

External links

• Château de Curton official site