Château de Vaulichères

Château de Vaulichères is a historic seigneurial estate and wine domaine located in the hamlet of Vaulichères, in the commune of Tonnerre in the Yonne department of Burgundy, France. The château was built by the de Clermont-Tonnerre family, and its documented history reaches back to the mid-16th century, when Louise de Clermont, countess of Tonnerre and duchess of Uzès, sold Vaulichères and its surrounding lands in 1552. Over the following centuries the property passed through numerous owners, including the Canelle family, Jean Gauthier de Tronchoy — who built the estate chapel in 1690 — and later Admiral Jean Gaspard de Vence, who retired there from 1803 and worked its vineyard until his death in 1808. Alongside its architectural heritage, Vaulichères has long been defined by wine. Until the late 19th century, when phylloxera devastated the region, the Tonnerre vineyard was one of the oldest and most important in France, and the Vaulichères domaine was reputed to be the finest in the Tonnerrois. In 1845 the Damotte family acquired the estate with the aim of developing a champagne-style method for the wines of Tonnerre. Today the domaine, known as the Clos de Vaulichères, comprises around eight hectares of vines planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, plus one hectare of older vines under the Chablis appellation. In its present commercial form, the estate operates on two complementary fronts. Its official website presents the château as a "gîte de groupe grande capacité" — a large-capacity group holiday rental — marketed for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, family reunions, "cousinades" and holidays among friends, set within a vast enclosed wooded park. At the same time it remains a working wine domaine, continuing a viticultural tradition that stretches back centuries in the Tonnerrois. The combination of heritage architecture, event and group accommodation, and Burgundy wine production gives the brand its distinctive positioning at the intersection of hospitality and winemaking.

The Château de Vaulichères stands in the hamlet of Vaulichères, in the commune of Tonnerre in the Yonne department of Burgundy. It was built by the de Clermont-Tonnerre family, a prominent noble house of the region. The earliest documented transfer in the estate's recorded history dates to 1552, when Louise de Clermont, countess of Tonnerre and duchess of Uzès, sold Vaulichères together with the lands of Bernouil, Soulas and Milois to Jehan Canelle (1500–1562), a receiver of the aides and tailles at Tonnerre who had also built the hôtel d'Uzès, and to his wife Jacqueline de Perceval. The property then passed to their son Henri Canelle (1547–1630), seigneur de Vaulichères, who married Elisabeth Phélippeaux; to their grandson François Canelle, seigneur de Bragelogne and provost of the maréchaussée in the election of Tonnerre, and his wife Claude de Rosel; and finally to their son-in-law Paul de Chaulnes, the king's procurator at the salt granary of Tonnerre. It later belonged to Jean Gauthier de Tronchoy (1645–1723), squire and officer of the duke of Orléans, who built the present chapel in 1690; the chapel was blessed on 18 May 1693 and placed under the invocation of the Virgin Mary. Its interior included a gilded tabernacle adorned with statuettes of Christ, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Clare and Saint Dominic, and it was flanked by two small chapels, one dedicated to Saint Roch. The tombs of Jean Gauthier and his wife Anne Milon are in the chapel. Towards the middle of the 18th century the estate passed to François Jacquesson (1745–1819), seigneur de Vauvignol, gentleman of the king's hunt and later a conseiller général of the Yonne, and to his wife Victoire Maignan de Champromain, a niece of the celebrated architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot. The château was subsequently acquired by Admiral Jean Gaspard de Vence, who retired there from 1803 and spent his final years working its wine domaine until his death in 1808. The estate then passed to his daughter, mother of Admiral Charles Joseph Dumas-Vence, who was born at Tonnerre in 1823. Under the Restoration, the admiral's daughter sold the domaine to Jean-Pierre-François d'Audigier (1768–1856), who had been director of the food supply service during the 1812 Russian campaign, and to his wife Hortense Zélie Delon. In 1845 the Damotte family acquired the estate with the aim of developing a method of champagnisation for the wine of Tonnerre. Ownership subsequently passed through many hands: Gallien in 1869, Pierre Delinotte in 1880, Lascault and Garriau in 1919, Dr Hugot in 1926, Dr Israël, General Duron in 1939, Quarangui in 1953, and finally the baron and baronne de Barolet (a granddaughter of Henri Zuber) in 1964. Wine has been central to the estate's identity. Until the end of the 19th century, when it was heavily affected by phylloxera, the Tonnerre vineyard was one of the oldest and most important in France, and the Vaulichères domaine, one of the largest in the region, was reputed to be the best in the Tonnerrois. In its contemporary form the domaine, known as the Clos de Vaulichères, comprises eight hectares of vines planted between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, together with one hectare of older vines under the Chablis appellation. The château is today also marketed through its official website as a large-capacity group holiday rental, welcoming guests for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, family reunions, cousinades and holidays among friends within a vast enclosed wooded park.

• 1964

  The baron and baronne de Barolet (a granddaughter of Henri Zuber) acquire the estate.

• 1845

  The Damotte family acquires the estate with the aim of developing a champagnisation process for the wine of Tonnerre.

• 1803

  Admiral Jean Gaspard de Vence retires to the château and works its wine domaine until his death in 1808.

• 1693

  The chapel is blessed on 18 May and placed under the invocation of the Virgin Mary.

• 1690

  Jean Gauthier de Tronchoy builds the present chapel of the estate.

• 1552

  Louise de Clermont, countess of Tonnerre and duchess of Uzès, sells Vaulichères and the lands of Bernouil, Soulas and Milois to Jehan Canelle and Jacqueline de Perceval.

Heritage Burgundy château combining large-capacity group accommodation with a historic Tonnerrois wine domaine.

• Clos de Vaulichères wine domaine

  Around 8 hectares of vines planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, plus 1 hectare of older vines under the Chablis appellation.

• Large-capacity group gîte

  The château marketed as a group holiday rental for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, family reunions, cousinades and holidays among friends, set in a vast enclosed wooded park.

1. 1Chateau de Vaulicheres - gite de groupe grande capacitéchateaudevaulicheres.fr
2. 2Château de Vaulichères — Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Château de Vaulichères — Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org