French Wine Legends
The names behind France's greatest bottles: Burgundy cult domaines, Bordeaux château dynasties, Champagne houses, and the mavericks who changed how the world drinks.
14 faces
Who's in this deck?14 names — peek before you play
Aubert de Villaine
Co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Burgundy · Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Aubert de Villaine is a social economist and co-owner of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti; he served as the Domaine's co-director from 1974 to 2021, stepping down to an advisory role in 2022.
Jean-Charles Boisset
Burgundy-born owner of wineries in France and California · Boisset Collection
Jean-Charles Boisset is a French vintner and the proprietor of the Boisset Collection, which operates 28 wineries in California, France, and Canada.
Denis Dubourdieu
Bordeaux professor and white-wine pioneer · University of Bordeaux
Denis Dubourdieu was a French winemaker and professor of oenology at the University of Bordeaux. He managed or co-managed several properties in Bordeaux, including Château Reynon, Château Doisy Daëne, Château Cantegril, Château Haura, and Clos Floridène.
Jean-Michel Cazes
Owner of Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac · Château Lynch-Bages
Jean-Michel Cazes 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.
Bernard Magrez
Owner of four Bordeaux grands crus classés · Château Pape Clément
Bernard Magrez is a French wine magnate who predominantly owns Bordeaux wine estates, including Château La Tour Carnet, Château Pape Clément, Château Fombrauge and Clos Haut-Peyraguey but also a large number of wine producing properties in other French wine regions and other countries, including Spain, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, Japan, Morocco and California.
Philippe de Rothschild
Mouton Rothschild, pioneer of château bottling · Château Mouton Rothschild
Philippe, Baron de Rothschild was a member of the Rothschild banking family who became a Grand Prix motor racing driver, a screenwriter and playwright, a theatrical producer, a film producer, a poet, and a wine grower.
Éric de Rothschild
Long-time head of Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac · Château Lafite Rothschild
Baron Éric Alain Robert David de Rothschild is a French banker.
Saskia de Rothschild
Chairwoman of Château Lafite Rothschild · Château Lafite Rothschild
Saskia Anna Esther Maria del Mar de Rothschild is a French journalist and businesswoman. She became chairwoman of the Domaines Barons de Rothschild in 2018 and chief executive officer in 2021.
Alexandre de Lur Saluces
Long-time head of Château d'Yquem, Sauternes · Château d'Yquem
Count Alexandre de Lur Saluces was a French viticulturist who for 36 years acted as manager of Château d’Yquem, and at the time of his death still acted in this capacity for Château de Fargues, both Sauternais châteaux held by the Lur Saluces family for generations.
Dom Pérignon
Benedictine monk, legendary Champagne pioneer · Abbey of Hautvillers
Dom Pierre Pérignon, was a French Benedictine monk who made important contributions to the production and quality of Champagne wine in an era when the region's wines were predominantly still red.
Madame Clicquot Ponsardin
The Widow Clicquot, Champagne pioneer · Veuve Clicquot
Madame Clicquot, also known as Barbe Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, Widow Clicquot, Veuve Clicquot, and the Grande Dame of Champagne, was a French Champagne producer. She took on her husband's wine business when widowed at 27.
Louise Pommery
Champagne widow who pioneered the brut style · Pommery
Louise Pommery, was a French Champagne producer. She took on her husband's wine business, Pommery, after she was widowed in 1860.
Anselme Selosse
Cult grower-Champagne winemaker in Avize · Jacques Selosse
Anselme Selosse is a Champagne producer and grower based in the Avize region of Champagne, France. He is the son of Jacques Selosse and is part of the fourth generation of his family to grow wine.
Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié
Châteauneuf-du-Pape baron, father of the AOC system · Château Fortia
Pierre Gabriel Vincent Ernest Le Roy de Boiseaumarié, nicknamed Baron Le Roy, was a World War I fighter pilot credited with five aerial victories.