{"id":23869,"date":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/2024\/07\/04\/inside-la-place-new-vision-of-cantenac-brown-and-its-cellar-born-from-its-own-earth\/"},"modified":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","slug":"inside-la-place-new-vision-of-cantenac-brown-and-its-cellar-born-from-its-own-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/en\/2024\/07\/04\/inside-la-place-new-vision-of-cantenac-brown-and-its-cellar-born-from-its-own-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside La Place – New Vision of Cantenac Brown and Its Cellar born from Its own Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tristan Le Lous<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Owner<\/h2>\n

Ch\u00e2teau Cantenac Brown<\/strong><\/h2>\n

3\u00e8me Cru Class\u00e9<\/h2>\n

Margaux<\/h2>\n
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In May 2022, when I met Jos\u00e9 Sanfin, manager of Ch\u00e2teau Cantenac Brown for over 34 years, we discussed the fact that this magnificent estate has been bought by the Le Lous family in 2019. It seems obvious to meet the new owners in order to understand the vineyard’s new destiny. A recent arrival in the M\u00e9doc, the Le Lous family are one of France’s largest entrepreneurial families in the pharmaceutical sector. Tristan Le Lous represents the family at the head of this prestigious ch\u00e2teau.<\/p>\n

As soon as, they acquired the ch\u00e2teau, , the family decided to rebuild the winery to give it an ultra-modern building that meets both environmental and aesthetic requirements. During my visit to Cantenac Brown, I had the opportunity to ask Tristan Le Lous a few questions. First, he showed me the magnificent mud cellar, designed by architect Philippe Madec, superbly integrated into the landscape, allowing the eye to focus on the Tudor-style ch\u00e2teau, created more than 200 years ago by Scotsman John-Lewis Brown.<\/p>\n

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Presentation & Career<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gerda: Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your career before acquiring Ch\u00e2teau Cantenac Brown?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Tristan Le Lous:<\/strong> With my 2 brothers, I run a pharmaceutical group called Urgo. It’s a family company that’s been around for 140 years and is based in Burgundy. It was my grandfather who took over the company in the early 50s. My brothers and I have been at the helm for the last 5 years. I’m an agricultural engineer, which gives me the tools to talk about the wines with Jos\u00e9 Sanfins, the estate manager.<\/p>\n

G: What were the main reasons for buying a wine estate in Bordeaux?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

TLL:<\/strong> It was partly a dream, but it was also a diversification strategy for the group, because a project of this scale can’t just be a dream. It’s both the culmination of the passion that my two brothers and I share, and an entrepreneurial investment project. Both aspects motivate me enormously, which is why we embarked on this acquisition project in December 2019. We simultaneously set about building this new winery to promote the brand and acquiring new plots of land for Cantenac Brown.<\/p>\n

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Challenges\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

G: What are the main challenges you’ve faced since becoming owner?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

TLL:<\/strong> I’ve been extremely fortunate that this property has been wonderfully looked after for so many years by Jos\u00e9. He has been the emblematic figure of Cantenac Brown for a long time. He arrived in 1989 as a trainee and now has 30 exceptional vintages to his name. Thanks to him, Cantenac Brown has become a wine renowned for its structure and tension, with mellow tannins and a taut finish. Jos\u00e9’s presence at my side to continue this adventure after the acquisition was an invaluable asset.<\/p>\n

However, we have overcome a number of challenges since the takeover in 2019. We started building the winery in the middle of a pandemic, and despite this, it was completed in time for the 2023 harvest. The project was complex because of its innovative nature and the materials used, and had to be speeded up. To anticipate the particularities of the construction, we made a model of the mud wall in the garden to understand how the joinery would fit into it and to determine the dimensions needed for the roof. The finishing details were particularly complicated.<\/p>\n

Completing this vast 6,000 m2 project, which was entirely eco-responsible, using raw and bio-sourced materials such as raw earth and wood, was the biggest challenge I had to face. Fortunately, I had Jos\u00e9 to continue managing the estate and producing the wine in the meantime.<\/p>\n

G: You’re a great entrepreneur and you know that the Bordeaux wine market is currently going through a crisis. How is this crisis affecting a wine like Cantenac Brown?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

TLL:<\/strong> My first primeur campaign took place in 2020, at the height of the crisis in Bordeaux due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a particularly complicated year. However, the following two years were exceptional. In 2022, we sold Cantenac Brown for the highest price in the Ch\u00e2teau’s history. This year, we’ve had to reduce our price, but I don’t think that reflects a lack of dynamism in the market. Nevertheless, we’re going through a difficult year.<\/p>\n

This crisis is perhaps affecting me less than I expected, because I remain serene and convinced that the GCC market dynamism\u00a0 will return. It’s crucial to know how to manage these cycles. Despite my lack of perspective, my main motivation is to develop our messages and differentiate the Cantenac Brown brand.<\/p>\n

My aim is for Cantenac Brown to be recognised for the quality of its wines, and not just as an 1855 3rd Growth in Margaux.<\/p>\n

I’m not sure to what extent the current crisis in Bordeaux is linked to the cost of carrying wine stocks, which is higher because of the rise in interest rates. My impression is that this industry is sensitive to rising rates. I hope that the next fall in interest rates will revive the market, especially as the distribution chain will be de-stocking in the meantime. So I expect the market to pick up again if a lot of the current problems, which are making the 2023 campaign difficult, are indeed due to this. I don’t know when that moment will come, but it will come, and my family has undertaken this project for the long term.<\/p>\n

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What’s more, the problems we’re currently experiencing during this Primeurs 2023 campaign are not exclusive to Bordeaux. Regions like Burgundy and Italy are also experiencing difficulties. There is indeed a drop in wine consumption, but this overall drop means that people are drinking less often but choosing more expensive wines. I think that this dynamic is favourable to top-of-the-range wines.<\/p>\n

For us, it’s a question of producing wines positioned in the luxury segment. That’s what will save us. For an 1855 Grand Cru Class\u00e9, the challenge is to be identified as a brand with a distinctive message and differentiated products. I hope that this winery will help us to achieve these goals.<\/p>\n

It’s also important to attract younger consumers. What interests them is the approach behind the product. That’s why we’re communicating more about our approach. Young people are looking for more transparency than the previous generation. We have to explain why and how we do things. This eco-responsible winery at Cantenac Brown is a fine signature and symbolises our commitment to a more sustainable world.<\/p>\n

G: It’s through differentiation that you try to better face the challenges of the market?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

TLL:<\/strong> Yes, brand differentiation is essential for me. We are implementing it not only for Ch\u00e2teau Cantenac Brown, but also for Brio de Cantenac Brown and our white, Alto de Cantenac Brown. The quality of these three wines is already exceptional and recognised. On the other hand, there is a whole brand content that needs to be created and developed with our opinion leaders and our customers so that Cantenac Brown is better recognised among the other Crus Class\u00e9s. I think this is the fundamental challenge facing Cantenac Brown today.<\/p>\n