Bernard Magrez
Encyclopedia
Bernard Magrez, born 1936, is a French
wine
magnate
who predominantly owns Bordeaux wine
estates, including Château La Tour Carnet
and Château Pape Clément
, but also a large number of wine producing properties in other French wine regions
and other countries, including Spain
, Chile, Argentina
and California
.
A multi-millionaire, Magrez made his fortune as the founder of the William Pitters spirits company and the low-cost red Bordeaux brand Malesan
.
In December 2008 it was reported that the investment bank Lazard
was offering Château Latour
for sale, and Magrez was suggested as the likely buyer. In the July 2009 Decanter
publication of "The Power List" ranking of the wine industry's individuals of influence, Magrez placed at number 29.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
who predominantly owns Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
estates, including Château La Tour Carnet
Château La Tour Carnet
Château La Tour Carnet is a Bordeaux wine estate in the appellation Haut-Médoc. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, at the time known by the name of Carnet.-History:The estate has origins in the early...
and Château Pape Clément
Château Pape Clément
Château Pape Clément is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the Premiers Crus for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1959. It is the oldest wine estate in Bordeaux, harvesting its 700th vintage in 2006. The winery and vineyards are located in the...
, but also a large number of wine producing properties in other French wine regions
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
and other countries, including Spain
Spanish wine
Spanish wines are wines produced in the southwestern European country of Spain. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9 million acres planted—making it the most widely planted wine producing nation but it is the third largest producer of wine in the world, the largest...
, Chile, Argentina
Argentine wine
The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain...
and California
California wine
California wine has a long and continuing history, and in the late twentieth century became recognized as producing some of the world's finest wine. While wine is made in all fifty U.S. states, up to 90% of American wine is produced in the state...
.
A multi-millionaire, Magrez made his fortune as the founder of the William Pitters spirits company and the low-cost red Bordeaux brand Malesan
Malesan
Malesan is a Bordeaux wine brand owned by Groupe Castel. It is produced as a red, rosé and white wine. Malesan was originally owned by Bernard Magrez, and was bought by Castel in 2003....
.
In December 2008 it was reported that the investment bank Lazard
Lazard
Lazard Ltd is the parent company of Lazard Group LLC, a global, independent investment bank with approximately 2,300 employees in 42 cities across 27 countries throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, Central and South America...
was offering Château Latour
Château Latour
Château Latour is a French wine estate, rated as a First Growth under the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Latour lies at the very southeastern tip of the commune of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bordeaux, at its border with Saint-Julien, and only a few hundred metres from the...
for sale, and Magrez was suggested as the likely buyer. In the July 2009 Decanter
Decanter (magazine)
Decanter is an up market magazine on wine and spirits, published in over 90 countries on a monthly basis. The magazine content includes news from the industry, vintage guides and wine recommendations. Decanter organizes the annual Decanter World Wine Awards.-Wine Ratings:Decanter employs a 1 to 5...
publication of "The Power List" ranking of the wine industry's individuals of influence, Magrez placed at number 29.