Pierre Lurton has led this singular estate for 30 years. In this exclusive interview, his senior team tell us just what it takes to make this iconic wine today – and for the decades to come. There are a handful of reference-point wines in the world. Château Cheval Blanc is one of them. Both the […]

Comparisons to Versailles abound, but Château Beychevelle is a lot more than just a pretty façade. We meet Romain Ducolomb, the estate’s Technical Director, to understand just what makes this such a special vineyard. There’s an old Médocain saying that the best vineyards overlook the river. But sometimes, the river looks back. At least, that’s how the […]

Classified Growths in Pauillac don’t change hands often, so when they do it’s worth taking note. Five years ago, the Cazes family of Château Lynch-Bages acquired Château Haut-Batailley: there are bold changes afoot. “So why did you paint it pink?” we ask Jean-Charles Cazes. We’re standing outside the cellars of Château Haut-Batailley in Pauillac, which Jean-Charles’s […]

Bordeaux’s négociants: are they anachronistic middlemen or a vital cog in the local machine? Barbara Drew MW takes a closer look. The négociants have been a fixture of the Bordeaux wine world for centuries. On one level, they help reinforce the stereotype of Bordeaux as corporate and commercial rather than romantic: they are middlemen, just […]