Changes are afoot in the Northern Medoc with projects that link wine and tourism: high profile examples of trends in the Bordeaux vineyard.

Over the last 20 years the number of Bordeaux producers has halved to around 6800, during which time the average size of vineyards almost doubled to 16,6 ha. The most dramatic change has been the decrease in very small vineyards; properties with less than 2ha now represent just 1% of the surface area compared to 18% 20 years ago. It makes sense; it’s difficult to make a living from a tiny plot (unless you’re Le Pin). Hobby or part time producers are selling up to larger neighbouring vineyards. The new owners may or may not keep the identity of the original properties but the benefits of investment in the latest technology and marketing support from better-known labels helps build the success of the lesser-known names.

On the last day of March, the Cazes family confirmed their purchase of Château Haut-Batailley, a vineyard that flanks their flagship Château Lynch Bages in Pauillac. This adds to their Bordeaux portfolio of Château Cordeillan Bages also in Pauillac: a small vineyard and impressive Relais Chateau Hotel and Restaurant (reopening with a new chef, Julien Lefevre, mid-April), Chateau Villa Bel-Air in the Graves and Château Les Ormes de Pez in St Estèphe.

Haut Batailley, like Lynch Bages a 5th growth in the 1855 classification, has been run by Francois-Xavier Borie, who brought neighbouring 5th growth Grand Puy Lacoste to its current glory. The vineyard will keep its identity and has potential of almost 20ha of unplanted land. The press release covering the purchase discreetly mentioned that ‘The transaction was made possible with the help of Banque Rothschild’ – nothing like keeping it local; branches of the Rothschild family own neighbouring first growths Château Lafite and Château Mouton Rothschild as well as Clerc Millon, Armailhac, and Duhart Milon.

There’s a busy time ahead for the Lynch Bages team – the bulldozers have just demolished their wine cellar with American architect Chien Chung Pei in charge of the rebuild. His father is famous as the architect of the glass pyramid  in the Louvre, so light and transparency will be two strong influences in a functional as well as an aesthetic building. The technical renovation will mirror what has been undertaken in the vineyard,with smaller vats directly reflecting the identification of individual plots. The new cellar should be open for the 2019 harvest as well as to visitors.

The Cazes family are one of the wine tourism pioneers of Bordeaux alongside the Hotel Cordeillan Bages, Jean Michel Cazes created the ‘destination’ Village of Bages with a restaurant, wine boutique, gourmet shops and the unique Viniv personalised wine making company. This new site will include premises for Viniv, which, according to director Stephen Bolger, ‘will allow our vintage clients to enjoy an even more privileged experience in their winery.’

In the meantime visitors are still welcome and can taste the wines from Lynch Bages up the road at Château les Ormes de Pez as well as in the dining room of Cordeillan Bages and Cafe la Vinal.
They are not the only movers and groovers in the Northern Medoc; in neighbouring Saint Estèphe, Château Cos d’Estournel has just purchased their neighbour Château Pomys. Like the Cazes family, Michel Reybier, owner of Cos d’Estournel, is a scion of high-end hospitality: the Michel Reybier Hospitality chain includes the upmarket La Reserve hotels. He undertook a spectacular renovation of the château when he purchased it in 2000. The cellar was the most modern and innovative in the region.

He also renovated the chartreuse, previously a wine museum and tasting room into the spectacular ‘La Chartreuse d’Estournel ‘ a private 8-bedroom house in the heart of the vineyard with 2 swimming pools and beautiful reception rooms.

It is perhaps unsurprising then that he has purchased the neighbouring Chateau Pomys, situated on one of the highest points of St-Estèphe. Alongside making wine from its 12ha of vines, the château has been operating as a rather ordinary hotel. It was the home of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel who created the Cos d’Estournel estate in the late 18th and early 19th century so it’s also a move to reunite the old neighbours. There has been no mention of the future of the estate so it will be interesting to see if the Northern Médoc will be home to another top end hotel offering.

Away from the 1855 classification, campsite operator Eden Villages announced its purchase of the majority stake in Château Laffitte Carcasset in Saint-Estèphe at the beginning of the year. This large vineyard surrounds a charming 18th Chartreuse house at the very heart of the appellation.

Eden Villages belongs to Pierre Rousseau, president of the Rapido group, a European leader in motor and mobile homes. Following his passion for fine wine, he spent several years searching for the perfect property in Bordeaux with the help of Alexander Hall of Vineyard Intelligence. His investment in Château Laffitte Carcasset will continue with an emphasis on the quality of the wine and also wine tourism. Given Rousseau’s passion for art and architecture, I don’t think the neighbours need to worry too much about this hospitality being in the shape of a caravan park.