Chateau La Commanderie in Pomerol has been sold to a young Hong Kong couple, Andrew and Melody Kuk.
‘A page of French history’… La Commanderie
The purchase of La Commanderie is the second by a Hong Kong investor in Pomerol, after Peter Kwok, who is Taiwanese but lives in Hong Kong, bought Chateau La Patache in 2012.
The couple are in their early 30s, and are originally from Beijing. They are in the financial business in Hong Kong and mainland China.
The agent responsible for the sale, Damien Mounet of Square Viti, told local newspaper Sud Ouest the investment was personal rather than part of their wider business. ‘It’s for their passion and love of wine,’ Mounet was reported as saying. ‘They are buying a page of French history and will respect its heritage.’
Chateau La Commanderie has six hectares of vines in AOC Pomerol, and produces 25,000 bottles per year. It was bought for around €8m through Kuk’s Hong Kong company Grace Star.
‘Currently there are around 50 Bordeaux estates owned by Chinese, Hong Kong or Taiwanese companies and individuals,’ Lina Fan, who runs an agency in Bordeaux specialising in Chinese vineyard investments, told Decanter.com. ‘I would fully expect that number to rise to 200 within the next five years. After that, it should stabilise.’
Andrew Kuk was not immediately available for comment, but a spokesperson at the chateau confirmed the purchase.
Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux
