More than 1,000 years have marked the history of Château de Poncié. Located on the hill of the same name, facing the Madone hill, it is one of the first feudal estates in Beaujolais and the first in Fleurie. Its history, its ecosystem and its traditions are still alive today thanks to the work and passion of our winemakers.
1,000 years of history in Fleurie
The story of Château de Poncié began in the Middle Ages with the monks...
The first written sources on the history of Château de Poncié are precious and date back to 949. Just like the history of the village of Fleurie, the story of Château de Poncié begins with the Cluniac presence.
At that time, the Poncié Estate was already renowned for the quality of its wines and soils. The property was a gracious bequest to the monks from Teoza and Gosfredus to the Abbey of Cluny for the salvation of their souls.
During this medieval period, the Abbey of Cluny radiated spiritually throughout Europe, while the Cluniac monks' vine-growing strengthened its power and identity.
From the 16th century, the nobility conquered the lands of Fleurie
The archives of the history of Château de Poncié date back to the 16th century.
All the lands in the village of Fleurie, including the Poncié Estate, belonged to the French nobility. Duke (Henri de Montpensier), squire (M. Perrachon de Senozan) and lord (Benoît de la Roche) took turns owning this exceptional terroir. Deeply attached to the Estate, Claude II de la Roche, son of Benoît de la Roche, renamed himself Claude II de la Roche-Poncié: his surname now bearing the name of the lands he owned.
After several successions in the La Roche-Poncié family line,
the keys to the Château changed hands and history was reinvented.
In the 18th century, the land belonged to Comte de Damas D'Audour. A Musketeer under King Louis XV, he was captain of the cavalry, marshal of camp and lord of various regions. A wealthy family of Seigneurs, the Pimpie de Granoux, then owned the estate.
Until 1880, it was owned by the mayor of Fleurie (and great-grandfather of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's fiancée), who eventually sold it at auction.
A major turning point for Château de Poncié in the 19th century
In 1894, Antonin Bouchard, wishing to expand his agricultural holdings, hesitated between the Clos Vougeot (one of the most famous wine estates in the world) and the Château de Poncié for a similar price. Allowing his heart to decide, he settled in Poncié and expanded the Estate by buying many surrounding parcels.
In 1957, the Société Civile du Château de Poncié was officially created.
History is being rewritten in the 21st century
In 2008, seduced by the unique quality of the terroir and the heritage of the Estate, the Henriot Champagne Group bought the property, keeping it under the viticultural management of Bouchard Père & Fils. They were the first to convert the Château de Poncié vineyards to organic farming and environmentally-friendly viticulture methods.
Since 2020, the Estate has been run by a new generation of winemakers. Committed to historical legacy, agroforestry, organic farming and pastoralism, the team passionately and respectfully cultivates the land of this millenary winery, extending the work carried out by the Henriot Champagne group.
Today, Château de Poncié's ambition is to rediscover the excellence of the great Beaujolais wines. Wines whose subtlety, elegance and silky texture were once the hallmark of their reputation.
A true historical legacy, symbol of Fleurie in the Beaujolais since 949.