Cos d’Estournel appoints new chief

Aymeric de Gironde, international commercial director of AXA Millésimes, has been appointed general manager of Chateau Cos d’Estournel.

de Gironde (pictured) will take over from Jean-Guillaume Prats – who announced his departure last month – in February 2013.

Before working at AXA Millésimes – a role which included prestigious estates such as Chateau Pichon Baron, Chateau Suduiraut and Chateau Petit Village in Bordeaux and several other estates in Portugal, Burgundy and Hungary – de Gironde spent from 1997 to 2006 with the LVMH Group, with Hennessy and Krug in New York and Paris.

In a letter sent to clients confirming the appointment, Cos owner Michel Reybier wrote, ‘Serving the beautiful terroir of Cos d’Estournel, he will put into practice our philosophy of excellence in French and foreign markets which he knows pretty well, and will interact with you to promote further the presence of our wines. I wish him great success in his new position for which he has my full support.’

Prats will be moving to LVMH Group, as CEO of its Estates & Wines group, makers of Cloudy Bay and Cape Mentelle.

Christian Seely, managing director of AXA Millesimes, called the job at Cos d’Estournel a tremendous opportunity for de Gironde and said, ‘We wish him all the best in his new position.’

[pic: wine-pages.com]

Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux