Château de Boursault

Château de Boursault is a Champagne brand associated with the Château de Boursault estate in Boursault, in France’s Marne department. The brand is linked to a Neo-Renaissance château built between 1843 and 1850 for Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, widely known as the Veuve Clicquot, who owned the Veuve Clicquot Champagne house. The building was commissioned in connection with the marriage of her granddaughter, Marie Clémentine de Chevigné, to Louis de Mortemart-Rochechouart, and replaced an older fortified residence associated with the historic seigneurie of Boursault.

The Boursault estate has medieval roots. Records of the seigneurie date to the fourteenth century, when ownership passed among regional noble families connected with Brugny, the County of Bar, and the Barrois aristocracy. In 1409, Cardinal Louis de Bar received Boursault and other lordships from his father, Robert, Duke of Bar. A fortified château belonging to the barons of Boursault stood on the site by the sixteenth century. Vineyards surrounded the property during much of that period, although the land was reportedly wooded for approximately a century. By the early nineteenth century, the medieval building had fallen into serious disrepair. The present château was commissioned by Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, the Veuve Clicquot, in connection with the 1839 marriage of her granddaughter Marie Clémentine de Chevigné to Louis de Mortemart-Rochechouart. Designed by architect Jean-Jacques Arveuf-Fransquin, the residence was constructed from 1843 to 1850 in a highly ornamental Neo-Renaissance style. It was built as a formal country residence and was placed on a wooded hill overlooking the surrounding countryside and the village of Boursault. The estate park covered approximately 11 hectares. The architecture, including its steep roof, decorated windows, monumental composition, and numerous fireplaces, has been compared with the Château de Chambord. Veuve Clicquot later retired to Boursault. She died at the château in 1866, aged 89. The property then passed to her granddaughter’s daughter, Anne de Rochechouart de Mortemart, later known as the Duchess of Uzès. The duchess sold the estate in 1913. During both World War I and World War II, the château was used as a military hospital, giving the property a role beyond its original residential and vineyard functions. The estate changed hands again in 1927, when it was acquired by Achod Fringhian. According to the available historical account, the Fringhian family has managed the property for generations. Parts of the surrounding park were converted into vineyards, supporting the production of Champagne from grapes grown around the château. The resulting Château de Boursault brand is made at the estate and matured in its cellars. Its identity therefore rests on the combination of a historically prominent building, a local vineyard property, and on-site Champagne production and ageing. The château and the wine brand are related but not identical concepts: the former is a nineteenth-century architectural and historical landmark, while the latter is the estate’s Champagne offering. The property’s association with Veuve Clicquot provides an important historical link to the development of Champagne culture, although the available material does not establish that Château de Boursault is currently part of the Veuve Clicquot or LVMH corporate group. The available reference also describes the brand as the only Champagne using the château designation in the Marne, but no independent verification or detailed product portfolio is provided here.

1. 1939Estate used as a military hospital during World War II

   The château was again used as a military hospital during the Second World War.

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2. 1927Acquisition by Achod Fringhian

   Achod Fringhian acquired the estate; the Fringhian family subsequently managed it for generations.

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3. 1914Estate used as a military hospital during World War I

   The château served as a military hospital during the First World War.

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4. 1913Estate sold by the Duchess of Uzès

   Anne de Rochechouart de Mortemart, the Duchess of Uzès and an heir of Veuve Clicquot, sold the property.

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5. 1866Death of Veuve Clicquot at Boursault

   Veuve Clicquot died at the château after having retired there in later life.

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6. 1850Château completed

   The new château was completed after approximately seven years of construction.

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7. 1843Construction of the present château begins

   Construction of the current Neo-Renaissance Château de Boursault began under architect Jean-Jacques Arveuf-Fransquin.

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8. 1839Marriage connection prompts construction project

   Veuve Clicquot commissioned a new residence in connection with the marriage of her granddaughter Marie Clémentine de Chevigné to Louis de Mortemart-Rochechouart.

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9. 1409Boursault granted to Cardinal Louis de Bar

   Cardinal Louis de Bar received Boursault and other seigneuries from his father, Robert, Duke of Bar.

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An estate-based Champagne brand whose identity combines wine production with a distinctive historic château and vineyard setting.

• Château de Boursault ChampagneChampagne

  The estate’s Champagne is produced from grapes grown in vineyards around the château and aged in cellars at the property. The brand’s differentiation is primarily estate and heritage based: its name refers directly to the historic Boursault château, whose nineteenth-century architecture and connection with Veuve Clicquot form the core of its identity. The available reference does not provide a complete cuvée list, grape composition, dosage information, vintage range, or production volumes.

1. Château de Boursault
2. Château de Boursault official website