Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae 2016

The Tesseron family, owners of Bordeaux’s Château Pontet-Canet and Tesseron Cognac, are striking out west to California, purchasing Villa Sorriso, a lavish Napa Valley estate previously owned by the late comedian Robin Williams. The estate has sold grapes for some time to Napa wineries, but the Tesserons plan to begin making their own wine there.

"It is true," Alfred Tesseron told Wine Spectator. "My two nieces, Mélanie and Philippine, and I bought Villa Sorriso in Mount Veeder, Napa Valley. There is a great vineyard planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc."

Williams purchased the property in 1994, and put it on the market in 2012 for the asking price of $35 million. Shortly before the actor’s death in 2014, the listing was reduced to $29.5 million, then to $22.9 million in Oct. 2015. Local realtors say the Tesserons have agreed to pay $18.1 million, according to one media report. Tesseron would not confirm or deny that figure.

The 653-acre property, located on Mount Veeder in the Mayacamas range, houses a 20,000-square-foot main residence and includes 18.4 acres of vines in the Mount Veeder AVA. The grapes are currently being sold to wineries such as Robert Craig and 

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