Vincent Mulliez of Belle-Vue dies

Vincent Mulliez, the owner of Château Belle-Vue in AC Haut Medoc, has died at the age of 44.

Mulliez worked in London for JP Morgan investment bank before returning to his hometown of Bordeaux and buying Belle-Vue, together with another Haut Medoc property, Chateau Gironville, and the AC Bordeaux Superieur Chateau Bolaire, in 2004.

Belle-Vue is located next to Chateau Giscours, and Mulliez, encouraged by increasingly positive reviews for his wine, had invested heavily in the property.

He also recently became director of Chateau Lilian Ladouys in Saint Estephe and Chateau Pedesclaux in Pauillac for the Lorenzetti family.

This followed the formation of his firm, Mulliez & Associés, that specialises in mergers and acquisitions in the wine sector.

This work will now be continued by his technical director Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen and business partner Frédéric Boisseau.

‘We are all shocked by the loss of Vincent,’ said Bache-Gabrielsen, writing on the website La Passion du Vin. ‘His chateaux were a source of great pride, and he reserved a particular affection for Belle-Vue, which awoke his desire to return to the world of wine. He worked tirelessly to ensure the quality of his wines… and we will continue this work across all of his estates.’

Mulliez leaves a wife and five children.

Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux