Burgundy’s Chateau de Pommard sold to Silicon Valley entrepreneur

Chateau de Pommard in Burgundy has been sold to American digital entrepreneur Michael Baum for an undisclosed fee.

An aerial view of Chateau de Pommard. Image credit: Chateau de Pommard

Baum, who is chief executive of Founder.org in California’s Silicon Valley, has bought the 18th Century estate from Maurice Giraud.

Chateau de Pommard lies in the Pommard appellation itself and is unusual in owning 20 hectares of vines in one single plot, making it one of the region’s largest monopole vineyards.

Over the past 10 years, Maurice Giraud has renovated the estate to make it a flagship of wine tourism in Burgundy.

‘Michael Baum shares our passion and ambition for Chateau de Pommard,’ Giraud told Decanter.com.

There will be no initial changes to the management team, which is headed by Cecile Lepers-Jobard and Emmanuel Sala. Maurice Giraud is expected to stay at the property for up to three months to ensure a smooth transition.

‘I’m sure that Mr Baum will continue our efforts in the vineyards and improve the quality of the wines,’ Lepers-Jobard told Decanter.com.

Chateau de Pommard is considered a jewel of French heritage. It was built by a Paris lawyer and secretary to king Louis XV in 1726. Today, it is an amalgamation of two chateau buildings, after a second was constructed there in 1802.

‘When we find something we love like wine and Burgundy, we like to get involved locally,’ Baum told Decanter.com, of his family purchase of the estate. ‘Following a year of living in France, we have fallen even more deeply in love with the country, the heritage and terroir.’

Written by Yohan Castaing