Château Saint-Lô and Thailand
The history of the Château Saint Lô is associated to the Thailand’s by age-old ties.
In 1893 the relationships between France and Siam, which date back to Louis XIV’s reign, are going through a hard period. The French have expansionist policies along left coast of the Mékong and proclaim a blocus of Thailand’s coastlines.
Back in France, Prince Vaddhana is Siam’s spokesman upon the French gouvernement before being named Siam’s Consul in Paris. In addition to his intense diplomatic efforts to avoid a war, he purchases Bordeaux wines that he then sends to his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Devawongse.
Amongst the classified Médoc’s wines, only one Libournais wine figures on the list along six wines ordered by Prince Vaddhana: “cru Saint Lô, 48 bottles”…
A century later, Dr Pathom Vongsuravatana (Wongsurawat), Thailand’s Consul in Bordeaux, overhears about the sale of the vineyard and gathers thirty Thai wine passionates in order to acquire the property.
In 1995, on the fiftieth anniversary of His Majesty’s Bhumibol Adulyadej’s reign (Golden Jubilee), the kings of Thailand allows the Château Saint Lô the priviledge of featuring on the bottle labels the coat arms of this jubilee. His majesty will again allow this priviledge for his seventy second anniversary.
In the late 90’s, upon request of His Majesty the King of Thaïland, the Château Saint Lô takes part in the creation in Thailand, of two vineyards in the Nakorn Rajasima and Petchabun regions.
Nowadays remains a special vintage “Maharachawang” which preserves the souvenir of the close links tied all along the years between the Château Saint Lô and Thailand, « an Oriental Grand Cru » gone to the « Asian time ».
