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Jean-Michel Cazes

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Jean-Michel Cazes
Cazes in 2019
Born(1935-03-25)25 March 1935
Bordeaux, France
Died28 June 2023(2023-06-28) (aged 88)
Pauillac, France
Alma materParis School of Mines
University of Texas M.S.
Occupation(s)Food products executive, insurance executive
Board member ofBordeaux Wine Council (1976)
Compagnie Medocaine, Bordeaux, France
ID Systemes, Bordeaux
Chateau de Cordeilan-Bages, Pauillac
Axa millesines, Pauillac, 1987
SpouseMaria-Thereza Carregal Ferreira (m. 1968)
Children4
AwardsChevalier de la Legion d'Honneur
Notes

Jean-Michel Cazes (25 March 1935 – 28 June 2023) was a French winemaker and insurance executive. He managed the wine holdings of AXA Millésimes until 2000, the family insurance agency, and the Cazes family estates until 2006.[3] He was the son of André Cazes and grandson of Jean-Charles Cazes who acquired the family's initial holdings.

Biography

Cazes completed his degree at the École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris (1958) (where he also played Rugby), then earned an M.S. in petroleum engineering at University of Texas (1960) as a Rotary Scholar.[2][4][5] He served in the French Air Force (1960–1962), leaving with the rank of lieutenant. He was a sales manager at IBM France (1962–1971) and president of STAD (Empain-Schneider Group) (1971–1973), both in Paris.[1]

In 1973[1] or 1974 he returned to Pauillac, where his father was the longtime mayor, to manage the family's insurance and wine interests. He took over management of Château Lynch-Bages.[6] Other properties include Chateau Villa Bel Air,[7] Château Les Ormes-de-Pez, Château Cordeillan-Bages in Pauillac converted into a hotel and a restaurant of two Michelin stars, L'Ostal Cazes in Languedoc, Domaine des Sénéchaux in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Xisto in Portugal, and Tapanappa in Coonawarra, South Australia.[8][9]

Until 2000 Cazes ran wine properties for AXA Millésimes. French insurance companies are required to invest in French property, and under Claude Bebear the firm set up the AXA Millésimes subsidiary to invest in wineries. Their assets in Bordeaux included Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Château Suduiraut, Cantenac Brown, and Petit Village chateaux. Abroad they owned Quinta do Noval, a Port producer in the Douro Valley in Portugal, and the Tokaji producing Disznókő estate in Hungary. [2]

Cazes began low key efforts to market his product to the People's Republic of China as early as 1990. He has toured wineries around Beijing, and attended the 2008 Beijing Olympics. By 2008 Lynch-Bages sold about 5% of its output in the PRC.[10]

In 2002, he was awarded La Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, and in 2003 Cazes was chosen the "Man of the Year" by the wine magazine Decanter.[8]

Cazes stepped down in 2006, handing over management of the family interests to his son Jean-Charles Cazes.

Cazes died on 28 June 2023, at the age of 88.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Jean-Michel Cazes." Marquis Who's Who TM. Marquis Who's Who, 2008. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC. Fee, accessed via Fairfax County Public Library 12 April 2009. Document Number: K2016880773
  2. ^ a b c Prial, Frank J. (28 June 2000). "WINE TALK; Still Looking for New Vineyards to Conquer". New York Times. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  3. ^ Robinson, Jancis (16 October 2001). "2001 harvest report - from Jean-Michel Cazes at Ch Lynch Bages". jancisrobinson.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
  4. ^ Jacobs, Julius (1 November 1989). "The outlook in Bordeaux". Wines & Vines. Archived from the original on 12 February 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  5. ^ "The American Ireland Fund - Dallas : Winegeese 2002". The Ireland Funds. 2008. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2009. For three-quarters of a century the 'Domaine de Bages' was the property of the Lynch family, sons and grandsons of John Lynch of Galway. John Tillotson presented Jean-Michel Cazes, who now manages the property, with a Stetson to replace one given to him by the famous Texan Maurice Acers in 1959, when he was a Rotary Scholar at the University of Texas.
  6. ^ Kissack, Chris. "Chateau Lynch-Bages". thewinedoctor.com.
  7. ^ Pouget, Antoine (6 September 2006). "Château VILLA BEL AIR" (PDF). DUBOS FRERES & CIE. Retrieved 11 April 2009. In 1988, the Cazes family, already owners of châteaux Lynch‐Bages in Pauillac and Les Ormes de Pez in Saint‐Estèphe bought the estate. Jean‐Michel Cazes undertook an important renovation programme at the property. At last, the Bel‐Air estate has found a new identity. Villa Bel‐Air was born with the harvest of their first vintage.
  8. ^ a b Lechmere, Adam (20 November 2006). "Cazes takes back seat at Lynch-Bages". Decanter.com. Decanter.
  9. ^ Styles, Oliver (2 January 2007). "Cazes acquires Châteauneuf property". Decanter.com.
  10. ^ Boyce, Jim (27 August 2008). "Wine word: Jean-Michel Cazes, Chateau Lynch-Bages". Grape Wall of China. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  11. ^ Jean-Michel Cazes, Revered Winemaker Behind Château Lynch Bages, Dies at 88
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