Bernard Magrez every detail is important

The nose in a crystal glass, illuminated a beautiful golden yellow, Bernard Magrez hume bouquet of Château Fombrauge 2005. "You feel these fruity aromas. We feel. No question of antagonizing the happy owner, proud to have had the audacity to make a few acres of white bordeaux AOC in the heart of the Saint-milion appellation. The vintage 2005, produced by the two planted hectares of sauvignon, sémillon, grey sauvignon and muscadelle, 90-92/100 by Robert Parker, the American manitou of great wines was noted. A dedication to Bernard Magrez. "I bought this property 90 million francs end of 1999.". I will not say to you how much I've invested in its restoration. In any case, lots of money, because important it, is to make an excellent wine. "This acquisition will be the first in a long series. At the time, sixty-four years ago and decided to start a new entrepreneurial adventure: to make his name a gage of wines of exception. Eight years later, he is the head of a true small empire wine: 17 terroirs in Bordeaux, 9 in Languedoc-Roussillon, let alone a dozen California, Spanish, Portuguese, Chilean nectars, Moroccan, Portuguese, Argentinean, Japanese or Uruguay. But the man in the castles and vineyards, whose grand cru Pape Clément, 35 is not only a contractor proud to display its business. It is also a perfectionist. "Wine flatters the ego of one who offers it." Formerly, the label and the year was enough to impress the guest. "Today, the important it is to astonish," he said.

Harvest hand

During the fall harvest, exceptionally very late, there is little machines in the vineyards of Bernard Magrez. A the Tour Book, his grand cru ranked top Médoc, the grape is picked by hand. As in all its properties. At the entrance of the chais, sorters 30 activate before a treadmill. Here are équeute grains one by one, remove small pieces of RAID, on departure stained fruit. In Magrez, we are keeping that beautiful grapes. "I hired many of staff during the grape harvest." "Quality is at this price, especially for the yard," explains Anne Le Naour, the young Director of the Castle, Michel de Montaigne that numbered among its illustrious owners. "Machines hurt fruit, break the skins so rich in aromas, pick all without distinction as to maturity", explains its side Gilles Paquereau, maître de chai of Pope Clement. Bernard Magrez, every detail is important. The thoroughness with which should be sorted clusters of grapes as the rest. It is also close to the design of a label to the furnishings of its castles, real annexes to hôtel Drouot sales, another of his passions. He does not hesitate to put the means: the most famous Oenologists services like Michel Rolland, "Assembly engineering", quality and diversity of Oaks and Coopers for aquaculture in barrels, tanks and presses last Cree. A 1 euro per kilo, trays of 500 litres of dry ice to freeze the fermentation of the grapes arrive by truck every morning harvest in the chais.

The book Tour, the 50-hectare property, it is the symbol of the Magrez method. When he buys, in 2000, to EUR 15 million, this grand cru classé in 1855 a bad reputation. It retrieves a cellar and empty buildings in poor condition and poorly maintained vineyards. Today, the Tower in 1120, surrounded moat, regained all its charm. The Interior of the Castle has been beautifully restored and the vines produce vintages which accumulate gold medals and bright them notes of Judge Parker. "The property is now estimated at 120 million euros," sliding, falsely modest, Bernard Magrez. But, again, no way to know how much it invested in the restoration. "Millions", concedes Anne Le Naour, which specifies that each cru must be cost-effective, because his boss Aesthete is also a businessman.

The bet of the distribution

Acquisitions, work, everything is there to show that this Bordeaux had been able to monetize the price very previous dealer came late spirits wine life. At fourteen, convinced that he would never be studies, his father shipped at Luchon wood as an apprentice Sawyer School. Training of youth that he shared with François Pinault. "We are the only great Bordeaux châteaux owners to operate a saw, fun Bernard Magrez.". I could very well have wrong turn. The guys and life, there, everything was hard. "At the exit, his uncle Jean Cordier hiring in his house in trading. Then he helps him find ways to resume importation of porto House. It is the foot in the Stirrup. The great distribution starts, but "brands of alcohol did not want to sell their products in rally or Leclerc, remembers Bernard Magrez." It was departing from their image. Me, I have offered them my porto, then my whisky. I launched the San José tequila and everything is chained. "It builds the Group William Pitters, whose flagship product, the whisky William Peel, is still number one in the French market. "Despite the success, I had no chance of becoming number one European, it is for this that I ended up selling. A transaction concluded in 2005 with Marie Brizard around 100 million euros, sales that Bernard Magrez does not confirm. At the same time, he is interested in wine, environment and market analysis, and identifies new potential, with the fixed idea of being the first, after, as a child, always the last. Young man, Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson was his hero. Adult, he swallows all biographies of men that have managed to understand and emulate their functioning.

The wine adventure began timidly. It was recovered by her marriage, a small share of the capital of the grand cru Pape Clément. Over the years, it will restore its luster, gradually acquiring all of the assets. In 1980, he created, from scratch, the Malesan, red bordeaux of Assembly which, with 11 million bottles sold per year, became the first brand in its category on the French market. Here again, the assignment of this label to the Castel group is a good operation. "On the two transactions William Pitters and Malesan he had Pocket total of nearly 300 million euros", certifies a connoisseur of the environment, which with money "he would have done better to buy a genuine very grand cru".

That is not his way. Since 2000, he built his empire by multiplying the acquisitions of property, preferring to develop many of "garage wine", i.e. of the small quantity from original terroirs. Its marketing, its communication budget approach 3.5 million euros and originality are the rest.

Partnership with Gérard Depardieu

Bernard Magrez is a man of intuition-skilled to publicize his house and grow its business. Hence its partnership with actor Gérard Depardieu, for which he confesses a genuine affection. "He has a heart too big for his chest and he helped me to better understand others." Between the two men, friendship is real, even if the business is not absent. Bernard Magrez takes advantage of the reputation of the actor, the latter leaving Bernard Magrez GVP business professionals to raise its wines. "To sharing five small vineyards in the key of local society", says the owner, always anxious to go find beads and designing commercial operations in breathtaking for its staff. "There would be 25 marketing, he would have ideas to deal with all full-time," commented, smile corner, one of its staff.

Its methods out standards did not support its admission in Bordeaux circles. "They are reserved for large families." I am respected, but step of their, finds placidement. This is my chance, because I can decide alone and quickly when an opportunity presents itself.

Curly air, our gauge man once again his glass, then looks away, no doubt thinking that real estate case which he develops in this time with his daughter, unless this is some beautiful property on which he would willingly put the hand. A castle in most. And without asking anyone.