Château Pichon, Heritage castle in Parempuyre, France

Château Pichon is a castle in Parempuyre, in the Gironde, rebuilt in neo-Renaissance style by architect Michel-Louis Garros around 1880 after a fire in 1881. It borrows elements from different periods inspired by the Loire châteaux. Its pale grey facade is symmetrical, with tall windows, arched ground-floor openings, a broad entrance staircase, two pointed corner turrets and a steep central pavilion roof with a curved gable.

The estate's château dates back to the 14th century. In 1878 Eugène Durand bought the château de Parempuyre from the Pichon heirs; after a fire in 1881 left the building in ruins, the architect Michel-Louis Garros rebuilt it in neo-Renaissance style around 1880. Between 1893 and 1898 Durand-Dassier passed it to his son Philippe and his daughters, and the shares were later split between Philippe and Frédéric Cruse.

The name Pichon survives from the family that owned the estate before 1878, when Eugène Durand bought it from the Pichon heirs. In 1985 Clément Fayat renamed it Château Clément-Pichon, honouring both that family and his wife, whose maiden name matched his first name. The 25-hectare vineyard, replanted under Fayat, grows 62% merlot, 33% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc.

The castle stands in Parempuyre, in the Gironde department, and has been inscribed as a monument historique since 16 June 2000. The 25-hectare vineyard, replanted under Clément Fayat, grows merlot (62%), cabernet sauvignon (33%) and cabernet franc (5%) on sand and gravel soils.

The name Clément-Pichon, adopted in 1985, honours two people at once: the Pichon family, earlier owners of the estate, and Clément Fayat's wife, whose maiden name was also Clément. Fayat, a construction-company owner, bought the property in 1976 and had the 25-hectare vineyard entirely replanted on sand and gravel soils.