Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Lafaurie-Peyraguey
(Image credit: Lafaurie-Peyraguey)

The chairman of Swiss perfume and decor group Lalique has added Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey to his collection of Bordeaux estates.

Silvio Denz, who has a personal fortune estimated at close to US$300m, has acquired Lafaurie-Peyraguey (pictured) for an undisclosed fee from energy firm GDF Suez, which had owned the property since 1984.

Denz already owns Chateau Peby Faugeres and Chateau Faugeres in Saint-Emilion, as well as Clos d’Agon in Spain and Montepeloso in Italy.

Lafaurie-Peyraguey was named a Sauternes Premier Cru Classe in the 1855 Bordeaux classification and counts Yquem as a neighbour. Its 36 hectares of vines are tended without chemical herbicides and comprise 93% Semillon, 6% Sauvignon and 1% Muscadelle.

In announcing the Lafaurie-Peyraguey deal, Denz added his voice to those who argue Sauternes’ signature sweet wines wines do not receive enough attention. ‘Sauternes deserves a higher profile and a wider appeal,’ he said.

Last year, fine wine index Liv-ex said that Sauternes wines were ‘perennially undervalued’, due to muted consumer demand.

However, Denz also said that he intends to develop Lafaurie-Peyraguey’s dry white wine production. He specifically cited work by Olivier Bernard at Clos des Lunes as an example to follow.

Alongside winemaking, Denz intends to begin making up for a ‘shortage’ of top quality hotels in the Sauternes region. Lafaurie-Peyraguey has 13 bedrooms that can be used for guests.

Written by Chris Mercer

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.