Sylvie Cazes to leave Pichon, UGC

Sylvie Cazes, president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and co-owner of Chateau Lynch Bages, will be stepping down from her role as director of Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, it was announced yesterday.

‘No regrets’: Sylvie Cazes

Cazes took on the role in February 2011, taking over from long-time director Gildas d’Ollone on his retirement.

A letter was sent out this week from Pichon Comtesse owner Frédéric Rouzaud to the chateaux’s key clients explaining that Cazes would be leaving to concentrate on her other commitments within Bordeaux – she remains on the advisory board for Lynch-Bages, and works as a councillor in the Bordeaux local government, where she is a key part of the development team for the Bordeaux Wine Cultural Centre, due to open in 2014.

Chateau Pichon Comtesse is owned by Louis Roederer Champagne, which bought it from May-Eliane de Lencquesaing in 2006.

Cazes confirmed that she will be leaving on 31 December. She will step down from her role as president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) at the same time, as she will have no active role within a Bordeaux estate. ‘I am leaving to concentrate on a number of personal and family projects’ she told Decanter.com. ‘I have no regrets. Sometimes you have to pursue other things in life.’

Rouzaud confirmed the departure, and added, ‘We want to express our gratitude to her for the work she has accomplished, and the dynamism that she has brought to the estate. We extend our very warmest wishes for success in her future projects.’

Replacement heads for both Pichon Comtesse and the UGC have not yet been announced.

Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux