De Boüard to appeal against libel verdict

Château Angélus co-owner Hubert de Boüard is to appeal after losing his libel action against journalist Isabelle Saporta.

The case, related to the 2012 St-Emilion classification, which saw Angélus’ status elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classé A, was dismissed by the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris. It said Saporta had given an ‘extremely disparaging and negative image of the winemaker’, but ‘none of her statements could be considered libellous’.

De Boüard had accused the French journalist of falsely suggesting he had had undue influence over the classification in her 2014 book Vino Business.