We know that the Protestant Beaucastel family were living in Courthezon by the middle of the sixteenth century. In 1549 "Noble Pierre de Beaucastel" bought "a barn with its plot of land extending to 52 saumées at Coudoulet". Later, the manor house that we know today was built here and you can still see the arms of the Beaucastel family sculpted in stone in one of walls of the drawingroom. The Beaucastels were among the more notable families of this little town and in 1687 Pierre de Beaucastel, in recognition of his conversion to Catholicism after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, was appointed "Capitaine de la ville de Courthezon" by Louis XIV. Two centuries later at the time of the phylloxera, the owner of Beaucastel was Elie Dussaud, companion of Ferdinand de Lesseps who constructed the Suez Canal. At that time the vineyard went out of production and it was not until 1909, when Pierre Tramier bought the property, that planting began again. Beaucastel then passed to his son-in-law Pierre Perrin, a scientist who made great progress with the vineyard. His efforts were built on by Jacques Perrin, who lived until 1978. Today the torch is carried by the sons of Jacques. Visit the Château de Beaucastel website.