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Land Survey of La Reynie at Peyron – Context

Extrait de l'arpentement des terres de La Reynie mentionnant la métairie de Peyron, 1697, AD33
Extrait de l'arpentement des terres de La Reynie mentionnant la métairie de Peyron, 1697, AD33

The 1697 land survey of the La Reynie estate is an essential historical document discovered in the Gironde Departmental Archives (AD33). It offers a valuable insight into the agricultural and landholding organisation of the Peyron estate, situated in the parish of Saint-Pierre de Mons at the end of the 17th century. Although technical, this type of deed provides a prime source of information for understanding the agrarian structures of the period and the significance of vines within the estates. In particular, the deed mentions the métairie (sharecropped farm) of Peyron, confirming its existence and layout.

These ancient documents shed light on the development of the Bordeaux vineyard landscape, characterised by estates of varying sizes, often centred around a dwelling house, gardens, cultivated plots, and vineyards (featuring heritage grape varieties). They bear witness to the enduring presence of agropastoral and viticultural activities in the region, which have shaped the identity of Château Cazebonne.

Extract from the Land Survey

And on the said day in the afternoon, we continued our said survey in the presence of the said gentlemen named above and the said lady, and surveyed the sharecropped farm called at Peyron situated in the said parish of St Pierre de Mons consisting of a house, garden, threshing yards (eyriaux), open vineyards (vigne plenieres) and arable land; bordering to the east Sieur Despujols, advocate, to the south the service road leading to the Compaijanos mill, the said road from St Macaire to Bazas and to the said Paparon sharecropped farm, to the west partly the said Sieur de Marbotin…

The extract from the survey details the exact composition of the Peyron métairie, including a house, a garden, "eyriaux" (threshing yards used for processing crops), "vigne plenieres" (open, continuous vineyards rather than intercropped vines) and arable land. It also identifies the neighbouring landowners, such as Monsieur Despujols and Monsieur de Marbotin, as well as the transport routes of the era, notably the road from Saint-Macaire to Bazas. This topographic and land description is crucial for tracing the evolution of the estate and its surroundings.

Nicolas de La Reynie

The document mentions Nicolas Gabriel de La Reynie, the first Lieutenant General of Police in Paris and owner of the land in question. His presence is recorded on the first page of the deed, although he was unable to attend the survey in person due to his important Parisian duties. This highlights the extensive landholdings of influential figures at the time, which were often spread across various regions of France. La Reynie's physical absence during the survey detracts nothing from the historical value of the document, which remains a testament to the management and mapping of land under the Ancien Régime. To learn more about this historical figure, visit the dedicated Nicolas de La Reynie page.

Château Cazebonne is part of this long Bordeaux wine history, replanting forgotten grape varieties that had disappeared from the landscape. This work of reconstruction and preservation is made possible thanks to the support of wine lovers who have embraced our wines. We invite you to learn more about our approach and the origins of these varieties by downloading our book "Bordeaux, a story of grape varieties", testing your knowledge with our wine quizzes, and discovering all of our cuvées in our online shop.

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