The Versailles estate is not in fact in Ile-de-France but instead the hamlet of Versailles in Montagnac-sur-Auvignon, in the heart of the Buzet appellation. And yet the origins of the name are the same as those of the illustrious château, designating former marshes converted into tillable land over the centuries. Founded in 1937 by a family of merchants who converted to agriculture and planted the first vines over four hectares, the estate was first taken over by a son, before being bought in 2008 by Hélène Singlande. Spanning seven hectares of gravel soils in a region bordered by Oceanic and Mediterranean climates, the vineyard is planted with two hectares of Merlot, two and a half hectares of Cabernet Franc and two and a half hectares of Sauvignon. Vines are grown according to sustainable farming principles and heavily exposed to the sun, enabling optimum ripeness that produces elegant and aromatic wines.

A 9 year old Versailles distilled in 1998 and bottled at cask strength in 2007. This rum was distilled in the Versailles still—a wooden single pot still—in the period when it was housed at Uitvlugt following the Versailles distillery’’s closure in the 1970s. When Uitvlugt closed, it moved again to its final destination at Diamond. This bottling is from a single cask selected by the Genoese independent bottler Velier in the period when Luca Gargano had access to the cellars of Demerara Distillers Limited thanks to his friendship with Yesu Persaud. These selections played a key role in building Velier’’s renown, alongside its incredible Caroni bottlings. Velier no longer has access to DDL’’s stocks and these rums are now some of the most sought-after by collectors and enthusiasts due to the unique flavours and concentration offered by their tropical ageing. A limited edition of 278 bottles.