Pierre Jean LarraquéChâteau le Virou - Vieilles Vignes WhiteChâteau Le Virou boats one hundred hectars of vines. It has taken centuries for this domain to develop, flourish, and become the property we now know today. In the 17th Century, prior to becoming a winery, the property was one of two gathering locations for the monks hailing from the Catholic order named « L’Ordre des Carmes Déchaussées».
Devout men from all over France would arrive to this landmark destined for silence and meditation. At that time, it was called «Le Désert du Virou». For the next two centuries, the monks built a monastery, whose renovated remains still stand today, and constructed vast underground labyrinths connecting the property to multiple strategic points in the region.
After the French Revolution however, when the property was sold, the tunnels were either condemned or destroyed. Today only the Chapel and three underground chambers remain from that era. The monastery was also almost completely destroyed, but through the efforts of the new owners the Delbos family, it was partially renovated between 1781 and 1919. In 2013, the property is sold to Pierre Jean Larraqué, who places great importance in the history and the stories behind his properties. In his eyes, these world heritage sites are to be cherished and shared with the rest of the world, while always keeping intact the integrity and image of the landmarks. History is to be valued and not forgotten which leads Pierre-Jean Larraqué to begin intense renovations to the property in 2015 and continue to this day.