Why Has the Estate That Inherited a Knight's Name Changed Hands So Many Times?

In the story of the five First Growths, we saw how Château Margaux's name alone remained at the summit even through the upheaval of the Revolution. In that same village of Margaux stands a château whose circumstances are almost the reverse. Its name never changed even once — but the owners who bore that name changed, one after another. This is the story of Château Lascombes.

The name derives from a knight of the 17th century. Yet the estate that carries his name has, for more than 200 years, rarely settled with a single family. A count, a Bordeaux corporate entity (by tradition), a group of investors from across the Atlantic, a British brewing company, a French insurance mutual, and now an American wine business family — why has ownership of this estate changed hands so often?

The Name Belongs to the Knight, the Land to the Count

The château's name derives from a knight, Antoine de Lascombes, born in 1625. The estate's original name was Ségonnes. In 1805, a man named Jean-Baptiste Loriague renamed the property Lascombes. By the time the 1855 Classification took place, the name in use was already the same one used today. This means that the kind of post-Classification name-splitting or rewriting sometimes seen at other Second Growth châteaux never appears in this estate's history.

In 1855, the Classification placed this estate among the Second Growths. The original list held 15 estates; later, in 1973, when Mouton Rothschild was promoted to First Growth, the Second Growths settled at their current number of 14. The name did not change. What kept changing was the "owner" who bore that name.

From a Count to Businessmen: Buyers from Across the Atlantic

At the start of the 20th century, the estate was inherited by the nobleman Comte Jean-Jules-Théophile Chaix d'Est-Ange, who is said to have purchased the neighboring estate of Marquis d'Alesme with a plan to merge the two châteaux into one. But in 1923, with his death, this plan came to nothing. It is also said that in 1926 the Ginestet family became the principal shareholders and the estate was reorganized as a company.

What transformed the estate significantly was the year 1952 (some sources say 1951). The investor group, which included prominent American businessmen, was led by Alexis Lichine, known as a wine merchant and writer. The estate, which had shrunk to about 12 hectares by that time, expanded under Lichine's replanting to nearly double, reaching 24 hectares. But this era, too, did not last long. In 1971, the British brewing company Bass Charrington acquired the estate from Lichine, bringing the Lichine era to a close. Ownership continued to change hands afterward: in 2001 Colony Capital, and in 2011 the French healthcare-workers' mutual insurance association MACSF, each in turn acquired the estate.

2022, and Today

The estate's expansion continued after that, and today it comprises roughly 120 hectares in Margaux together with about 10 hectares in Haut-Médoc.

On 31 October 2022, another new owner appeared for the estate. Gaylon Lawrence Jr., who leads the American company Lawrence Wine Estates, announced the acquisition of a majority stake (the acquisition was completed that November). Carlton McCoy Jr. (CEO of Lawrence Wine Estates) was also named in the announcement. MACSF, the previous owner, continues to be involved as a minority shareholder.

In 2023, a new face also took the top management seat. Axel Heinz, who had served as estate director at an Italian winery, became President & CEO. The technical director responsible for winemaking is said to be Delphine Barbou. And the name of the second wine, Chevalier de Lascombes — named in 1997 — is also another way of invoking Antoine de Lascombes, the knight from whom the château takes its name. The name remains that of the knight; only the owners keep changing with the times.

Three Facts Worth Knowing

• The château's name derives from Antoine de Lascombes, a knight born in 1625. Since it was renamed from the former name Ségonnes in 1805, this name has never changed.
• From the 1952 acquisition by Alexis Lichine (leading an investor group that included prominent American businessmen) to the Lawrence family's acquisition in 2022, the estate changed hands multiple times in under 70 years. The lineup of owners ranged widely across industries, from a British brewing company to a French insurance mutual.
• Today the estate covers about 120 hectares in Margaux plus about 10 hectares in Haut-Médoc. The name of the second wine, Chevalier de Lascombes, is another way of invoking the knight from whom the château takes its name.