Bordeaux Great Wines | Jean-Michel Cazes

Owner of Château Lynch-Bages, a classified growth from Pauillac, Jean-Michel Cazes is an international figure in the world of wine. He has played a significant role in modernizing the Bordeaux vineyard and has witnessed the transformations in the wine industry over the past 50 years. "Wine is for me, like bread, the basis of all food. It is the essential drink, synonymous with culture, happiness, and art of living. Each bottle sleeping in my cellar contains a universe: the geography and history of the place where it was born, the soil, the plant, the climate, a know-how. A universe ready to escape and be reborn, like the genius of Aladdin's lamp, at the first and only opportunity." After a golden age crowned by the 1855 classification, which made Bordeaux wines the most famous in the world, the Bordeaux vineyard took time to integrate the changes of the 20th and 21st centuries. Jean-Michel Cazes witnessed the crisis of the 1970s, which saw Bordeaux's aura fade and the prices of its wines collapse. He was a major player in their revival and their tireless ambassador. The family history and personal journey of this enthusiastic entrepreneur, a true winegrower at heart, make his book a real saga. His experience and insightful reflections are key to deciphering the complex heritage and operations of Bordeaux's great growths. 1985: Astronaut Patrick Baudry takes a bottle of Château Lynch-Bages aboard the Discovery shuttle. 1988-1992: Lynch-Bages, then Pichon-Longueville are ranked number 1 in the 100 most exciting wines list established by the American magazine Wine Spectator. 2003: Jean-Michel Cazes is elected Man of the Year by the English magazine Decanter. 2007: Wine Spectator awards him the Distinguished Service Award. 2011: Jean-Michel Cazes receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Masters of Wine. 2016: Lynch-Bages & Cie is crowned Global Best of Wine Tourism by the network of internationally renowned vineyards (Spain, France, South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Portugal, USA, Chile).