Chateau de Pommard in Burgundy has been sold to American digital entrepreneur Michael Baum for an undisclosed fee.
Baum, who is chief executive of Founder.org in California’s Silicon Valley, has bought the 18th Century estate from Maurice Giraud.
Over the past 10 years, Maurice Giraud has renovated the estate to make it a flagship of wine tourism in Burgundy.
‘Michael Baum shares our passion and ambition for Chateau de Pommard,’ Giraud told Decanter.com.
There will be no initial changes to the management team, which is headed by Cecile Lepers-Jobard and Emmanuel Sala. Maurice Giraud is expected to stay at the property for up to three months to ensure a smooth transition.
‘I’m sure that Mr Baum will continue our efforts in the vineyards and improve the quality of the wines,’ Lepers-Jobard told Decanter.com.
Chateau de Pommard is considered a jewel of French heritage. It was built by a Paris lawyer and secretary to king Louis XV in 1726. Today, it is an amalgamation of two chateau buildings, after a second was constructed there in 1802.
'When we find something we love like wine and Burgundy, we like to get involved locally,' Baum told Decanter.com, of his family purchase of the estate. 'Following a year of living in France, we have fallen even more deeply in love with the country, the heritage and terroir.'
source : decanter.com/news
