Bernard Magrez

Bernard Magrez was born in Bordeaux in 1936 and began his career in the wine and spirits trade during the 1960s. He initially built a global business through the William Pitters company, focusing on whisky and port, before shifting his focus to high-end wine estates in the 1980s. His expansion into Saint-Émilion occurred in 1999 with the purchase of Château Fombrauge. Magrez eventually became the only individual to own four classified growths in Bordeaux simultaneously, including Château Pape Clément, Château La Tour Carnet, and Clos Haut-Peyraguey.

In the Saint-Émilion region, the flagship property of the Magrez portfolio is Château Fombrauge, which holds more than 58 hectares of vines on a clay-limestone plateau. The viticultural approach emphasizes precision and environmental stewardship, utilizing techniques such as animal traction with horses and the elimination of chemical herbicides. In the cellar, the winemaking process involves manual harvesting, optical sorting of individual berries, and the use of dry ice to preserve aromatic freshness during the early stages of vinification.

Magrez is known for producing concentrated wines that prioritize ripeness and depth. His Saint-Émilion production reached a major milestone in 2012 when Château Fombrauge was officially elevated to Grand Cru Classé status. Beyond his four primary Bordeaux châteaux, the Magrez signature appears on wines from dozens of estates across France and several other countries, including Spain, Japan, and Argentina. He is also a significant figure in Bordeaux wine tourism and cultural philanthropy through the establishment of the Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute.