Once upon a time...
Once upon a time...
Emile Double (1812–1863), son of Sulpice Double, purchased Beaupré in 1855 because he wanted to visit St-Lambert, his property in Vaucluse near Sault.
Horse relay
Horse relay
The place is a charming stopover for the family and a relay station for the horses during their travels. This property in the commune of Saint-Cannat, former residence of the Estienne de St-Jean family, was separated from Grand-Saint-Jean during the Revolution.
The Great Saint John
The Great Saint John
Henri Double (1845-1885), Emile's son, subsequently sought to expand the Beaupré estate.
At that time, Grand-Saint-Jean, a neighboring property owned by the d'Estienne family, was up for sale. Henri signed a preliminary purchase agreement for three hundred thousand francs.
Lower Castle
Lower Castle
The d'Estiennes, who wanted to recover some family memories, bought back the property for 400,000 francs.
Thanks to this, Henri bought Château Bas in Vernègues with its Roman temple.
Emile Double
Emile Double
Emile Double (1867-1938) took care of both properties, but at Château Bas there were so many rabbits that they had to be hunted almost every day, which was not to his displeasure.
the mansion and the fountain
the mansion and the fountain
He takes advantage of this stop in Saint-Cannat to play under the plane trees and run around the fountain decorated with these funny dolphins, whose tails, according to legend, were cut off by the revolutionaries of 1789!
Phanette de Gentelmi d'Ille
Phanette de Gentelmi d'Ille
In 1888, Emile graduated with a Doctorate in Literature and a Doctorate in Law. He planted his first vines in 1889 and married Phanette de Gentelmi d'Ille in 1900.
The earthquake
The earthquake
In 1909, an earthquake devastated the region and the village of Saint-Cannat was badly damaged. On June 11 at 9 p.m., three powerful quakes destroyed the Beaupré bastide, leaving only the ground floor standing. The bastide features a solar clock bearing the date 1739, the year it was built.
The chalet
The chalet
Two years of work and 18,000 francs were needed to restore the Bastide de Beaupré, and a prefabricated cottage was built to monitor the restoration work. The cottage is still inhabited today, after undergoing renovation in 2003.
Henri Double
Henri Double
In 1922, Henri Double (1903-2002), Emile's son, after completing his military service as a driver for a colonel, came to live with his father to work and hunt in Beaupré and Château Bas.
Henri was passionate about farming, hunting, and cars.
Q3A
Q3A
The wine was sold to merchants, and some of it was distributed in Aix in demijohns by the Q3A truck, which provided a home delivery service.
Anecdote
Anecdote
During the occupation, French citizens were required to hand in their weapons to the town hall. Henri Double, a keen hunter, chose instead to hide his rifles in the hay barn.
The war
The war
Beaupré was occupied by the Germans in 1944, with generals sleeping in the Bastide and soldiers in the hay barn...
The Night of Fear
The Night of Fear
One night, in the middle of the night, a soldier came to wake Henri Double and ordered him to go down to the large living room. Henri Double was convinced that his weapons buried in the hay had been discovered and that he had cause to worry about his future...!
Touched by grace
Touched by grace
He arrived in the large living room and found the generals in a state of advanced drunkenness, who ultimately just wanted to toast with the baron! Henri waited until the generals finally fell asleep before returning to his room. His rifles were never discovered.
Christian Double
Christian Double
In 1971, Christian Double (1945), with an engineering degree under his belt, married Marie-Jeanne. It was not until Christian Double took over the running of the estate that it began to focus exclusively on wine production.
Christian &
Marie-Jeanne
Christian &
Marie-Jeanne
No more bulk sales, the entire harvest is bottled at the estate.
The know-how
The know-how
Christian has returned to traditional winemaking methods that allow the grapes to express their best aromas and tannins. This quality has been praised by specialist guides, featured on the wine lists of most of the region's leading restaurants, and since 1997, on the wine list of the Elysée Palace.
The development
The development
The vineyard gradually increased from 32ha to 42ha and the winery was modernized.
Christian and his children
Christian and his children
From 2000 onwards, Phanette and Maxime joined Beaupré and the world of wine.