Bordeaux: A French Passion

Revue des deux mondes – Special Edition

In a recent issue of the Revue des deux mondes, Béatrice Delamotte highlights the captivating story of brothers Thomas and Édouard Le Grix de la Salle, alongside their father Antoine, owners of Château Le Grand Verdus. Their bold approach in the Bordeaux wine industry, characterized by innovative single-varietal and parcel-based cuvées, challenges established conventions. As the author explains, “The two young men have made wine abroad, confronted other cultures, and disrupted Bordeaux codes with their offbeat cuvées.”

Their strategic choice to stand out from Bordeaux’s traditional market by opting for autonomous distribution is also emphasized: “No distribution through merchants for Château Le Grand Verdus, but the claimed choice of autonomy.” This decision allowed Thomas Le Grix de la Salle to explore untapped international markets, thereby enhancing the global recognition of their family wine estate. As Béatrice Delamotte notes, “We are also present in countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Cambodia.”

The article highlights the Le Grix de la Salle brothers’ commitment to educating consumers about the true identity of Bordeaux: “A real effort to explain what Bordeaux is when some still think it’s a grape variety…” This approach, combined with an annual production of 700,000 bottles, positions Château Le Grand Verdus as a major player in the contemporary wine landscape, where innovation and tradition harmoniously blend.

Additionally, the international impact of Château Le Grand Verdus is illustrated by murals in Kigali: “Like in Rwanda, where street art paintings display the estate’s colors in the streets of the capital, Kigali.” This artistic recognition testifies to their success in penetrating niche markets with their distinctive approach and their growing influence beyond Bordeaux’s traditional boundaries.