Jestin stated he has determined to retire after 35 years of serving to to develop Maison Dourthe and Bordeaux usually – from exploring new winery administration and winemaking methods to selling wines on the worldwide stage.
‘Though now not concerned within the day-to-day aspect of the enterprise, relaxation assured that I’ll proceed to assist the corporate as each stakeholder and trustee,’ he stated.
Dourthe, based in 1840, has owned fifth development property Château Belgrave since 1979 but in addition has a number of different properties in its portfolio and manages 500 hectare vineyards throughout Bordeaux, alongside producing in-house labels comparable to Dourthe No.1.
It has a robust popularity as a top quality wine producer, and just lately partnered with Australia’s Penfolds to create Penfolds II utilizing Bordeaux grapes.
Jestin has been a outstanding determine throughout a major interval of change for each Bordeaux wine and the corporate, though his assertion emphasised the power of the workforce quite than any particular person achievement.
He added that his son, Valentin, has change into the Dourthe’s world model director after working with the group for almost a decade. Frédéric Bonnaffous has been appointed chief winemaker.
Amongst different current developments, Dourthe introduced earlier this 12 months that it had acquired Château Le Boscq in St-Estèphe, ranked as Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. It had managed the property as a ‘tenant’ since 1995, and invested in winemaking enhancements on the property since then.
Final month, Dourthe launched ‘Les Parcellaires’ – three cuvées from particular winery websites. They embody: ‘The Sémillon 54’ and Cabernet Sauvignon-planted ‘The La Gravière’ plots at Château Rahoul in Graves, plus the Cabernet Franc ‘Peykem’ plot at Château Reysson, a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur.
Solely 2,500 bottles of every cuvée have been produced, debuting with the 2020 classic.
Jestin famous in his retirement assertion {that a} important new chapter for Dourthe started in 1998, following a administration buyout of the corporate by the Jestin, Chadronnier and Gouvars households.
Since 2007, Arvitis, owned by the Thiénot wine household, has been a significant shareholder in Bordeaux corporations CVBG, Dourthe and Kressmann, alongside the Chadronnier and Jestin households, Dourthe stated.
Jestin stated he was assured about Dourthe’s street forward. The group has a 100-strong workforce, in addition to companion growers – a few of whom have been with the group for greater than 30 years.
