Mr Chen, an Asian investor in telecoms, media and technology sectors, has bought Château de Cadillac-en-Fronsadais from the Australian Serisier family, said Vineyards-Bordeaux, which brokered the deal.
The AOC Bordeaux estate is based in Cadillac-en-Fronsadais north-west of Libourne and has been built up by the Serisiers since they acquired an historic house known as Château Cadillac in 2004.
The property traces its history back to the first Baron of Cadillac, created by King Edward II of England in 1307, said Vineyards-Bordeaux, which is an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate.
The deal is the latest in a long-running series of Bordeaux winery purchases by Asia-based investors, who have typically opted to buy into lesser-known appellations and areas.
Having started with three hectares of vines, the Serisiers spent several years acquiring neighbouring plots and launched their own wines in 2011.
Wines currently produced include ‘Le Bout du Monde’, which is a 100% Merlot from a vineyard of the same name, and ‘Château Montrevel’.
As Decanter’s Jane Anson reported last year, using the ‘Cadillac’ name proved tricky for the Serisiers, given the existence of a Château de Cadillac in Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux.
After visiting the Serisiers last year, Anson reported, ‘The wines have clear potential, and are particularly succulent in the 2015 and 2016 vintages, as you would expect, with my favourites being the liquorice-filled Montrevel 2015 and Le Bout du Monde 2016, with its prominent fruit and saline lick on the finish.’
Little was revealed about estate buyer ‘Mr Chen’, although Vineyards-Bordeaux said that he got in touch via Christie’s auction house in China and was keen to continue investing in the property and its vineyards.
‘It’s a dream come true for me to become a part of such a privileged history and participate in my passion for wine through such high quality terroirs,’ Vineyards-Bordeaux quote Chen as saying.
