Château Cantenac Brown in Margaux.
Château Cantenac Brown in Margaux.
(Image credit: Hemis / Alamy)

Tristan Le Lous was in advanced negotiations to to acquire Château Cantenac Brown on behalf of his family, according to a statement by the family this week.

Financial details have not been disclosed and the buyout has not yet been completed, but the purchase would mark one of the most high-profile deals of recent years in Bordeaux.

Cantenac Brown is a third growth in the 1855 Classification system and the sale of a classified estate in the Médoc is relatively rare.

The estate, which has 49 hectares of vines within the Margaux appellation, was bought in 2006 by businessman and property developer Simon Halabi.

It had formerly been part of the Axa-Millésimes group, which still owns Pichon Baron further north in Pauillac.

‘Cantenac Brown is one of the jewels of the Médoc,’ said Tristan Le Lous, who is an agronomist, as well as being executive director of the family-owned Urgo healthcare group in France.

‘I have a lot of ambition for this grand cru [estate],’ he said, commenting on the exceptional quality of its terroir.

‘Our challenge, with the recognised expertise of [estate director] José Sanfins, will be to bring minute precision to every stage of the production process to create, year after year, one of the best wines in Margaux.’

Le Lous said that he fell in love with Bordeaux wines thanks to his wife, who is from the region.

The family said that both it and estate director Sanfins had the same vision for respecting the environment and developing the estate’s potential.

Sanfins added, ‘Tristan Le Lous has a deep respect for the estate and its history. He also has a contemporary and daring vision for vineyard management. It’s a great opportunity for me to take part in the next chapter for this Château.’

See also: Cantenac Brown 2018 review by Jane Anson

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.