New appointments at La Conseillante and Petit-Village

Two of Pomerol’s leading properties are seeing significant staff changes this year, with a new technical director at Chateau Petit-Village and a new director at Chateau La Conseillante.

Jean-Michel Laporte, director at La Conseillante since 2003, announced his departure earlier this year, and left the estate at the end of June 2015.

Marielle Cazeaux has been appointed from Petit Village to La Conseillante as director, fulfilling the same role as Laporte, with Jean-Valmy Nicolas and Bertrand Nicolas as managing directors and owners. Valmy-Nicolas has the same strategic role at the neighbouring Château Figeac in Saint Emilion.

‘Bertrand oversees the technical side of La Conseillante,’ Valmy told decanter.com, ‘while my role involves overseeing the economic and strategic decisions. But Marielle Cazeaux is in charge of every aspect from the vineyard to the bottling for the wine, and will represent La Conseillante around the world, just as Laporte did’.

Other recent changes at La Conseillante include the appointment of Michel Rolland as wine consultant in 2013, and the purchase in 2014 of an additional 0.315 hectares (31.5 ares) located in a parcel called La Gravette, just next to Vieux Chateau Certan.

This was the first time since 1735 that La Conseillante had increased in size from its original 12 hectares, and Cazeaux has said that they also plan to further introduce organic practices in the vineyard.

Jean-Michel Laporte confirmed to decanter.com that he is joining a Bordeaux courtier firm, although said it was too early for an official announcement. ‘A change of job, and a new and very exciting challenge,’ Laporte said.

Cazeaux is replaced at AXA Millésime’s Chateau Petit-Village by Diana Berrouet-Garcia, a graduate from Angers School of Viticulture who has worked as technical director at both Château Teynac (Saint Julien) and Château Corconnac (Haut Médoc).