Bordeaux wine list leaves sour taste with top vintner in dock
Co-owner of one of world’s leading vineyards accused of seeking to influence coveted St-emilion ranking
THE co-owner of a leading Bordeaux chateau has been charged with seeking to unfairly influence the outcome of the coveted Saint-emilion Grand Cru Classé rankings in his favour.
A promotion in the 82-châteaux wine league can double the price of vintages, some of which reach stratospheric levels, and can boost property prices.
In what amounts to an earthquake in the discreet cobbled streets of St-emilion, Hubert de Boüard, 62, co-owner of the famed Château Angélus, has been placed under “official investigation” – a French legal term akin to being charged – for “taking illegal interest”.
Another Bordeaux merchant and owner, Philippe Casteja, 69, has also been charged. Both deny any wrongdoing.
Legal proceedings followed a criminal complaint by three disgruntled château owners who lost out in the last 2012 rankings and argued the men had acted as judge and jury in drawing up the list. As influential members of the INAO wine governing body, investigating magistrates said there was reason to believe they were unfairly able to ensure that their own domains, as well as others they are paid to advise, maintained their ranking or joined the select club.
The charges carry a maximum five-year prison term and €75,000 (£67,000) fine. French law forbids private business owners and employees who have taken on public roles from taking any financial, political or moral gain from their public work. In the 2012 classification, Château Angélus was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé A at the top of the wine league table, while the seven estates that Mr Boüard is paid to advise were promoted or kept their ranking. The château Trotte Vieille, which Mr Castéja owns, retained Premier Grand Cru Classé B status despite having merged with a lesser-graded château. Founded in 1954, the ranking, which applies only to the St-emilion region and is reassessed every 10 years, consists of three classifications – Premier Grand Cru Classé A, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Grand Cru Classé. The system was first thrown into crisis in 2009, when a court cancelled the 2006 classification after five demoted châteaux said the grading process was unfairly weighted towards those already in the top category. To avoid any more such feuding, seven wine experts from outside Bordeaux were added to the classification commission and independent bodies employed to grade the wines, based on taste, fame, “terroir” – local soil – and a visit to the domains. “Until now, it has been a bitter and unfair fight, but the case is at last moving forward,” said Éric Morain, lawyer for the disgruntled châteaux, Croque-michotte, Corbinmichotte and La Tour-dupin Figeac.
Mr Castéja said that he was “relaxed about the case”. “I have never been involved in the Saintemilion ranking,” he added.