Axel Heinz joins Château Lascombes
Longtime director and winemaker at Ornellaia, Axel Heinz, is leaving Tuscany to join the Second Growth Château Lascombes as CEO and bring the estate ‘to its full potential,’ reported The drinks business. After 18 years in Italy, Heinz will join Lascombes in time for the 2023 harvest.
Carlton McCoy, managing partner at Lawrence Family Wine, who own the Margaux property, said that the work Heinz ‘has done while overseeing Ornellaia and Masseto have taken this already heralded estate to new heights’.
Indeed, Ornellaia and Masseto have become established as two of the most prominent Super Tuscans, enjoying continuous demand and steady price appreciation. In 2020, they placed among the top ten most powerful wine brands in the world.
Investment performance of Ornellaia and Lascombes
The appointment of Heinz is intended to breathe new life into Lascombes, which has seen much slower growth than the Super Tuscan. Over the past five years, Lascombes prices have risen just 2.5%, compared to a move of 45% for Ornellaia.
At present, the 2012 is Lascombes’ highest-scoring vintage, with 94-points from Robert Parker (Wine Advocate). It is also one of the best offerings on the market, together with the less expensive 2011 (RP 93).
With Heinz soon to be at its helm, Lascombes will be an estate to watch; one likely to generate more critical attention, and rising prices.
You can explore the price performance of both estates on Wine Track – our tool, which enables you to identify investment grade wines, spot trends and wine investment opportunities.
Stay tuned – this analysis and more is part of our Q1 2023 report, published next week.
