Why Did the Family Behind Chanel Acquire a Second Growth Wine Château?

In the stories told so far, the leading roles have gone to bankers, diplomats, and aristocrats. But of the 61 estates named in the 1855 Classification, only five stand at the very top as First Growths. The remaining 56 — from Second Growth to Fifth Growth — each hold stories of their own.

Château Rauzan-Ségla is one such Second Growth estate, standing within the Margaux AOC. Its vineyards lie within the former commune of Cantenac, which merged with the commune of Margaux in 2017 to become "Margaux-Cantenac" — though the wine's appellation of origin remains "Margaux" to this day. Many people are surprised to learn who currently owns this estate. In 1994, it was acquired by the Wertheimer family, owners of the Paris fashion house Chanel. Why would a family that makes clothes choose to take on a wine estate?

The Origin of the Name: From Tenant to Landowner, and a Family Split in Two

In the mid-17th century, the wine merchant Pierre des Mesures de Rauzan had been leasing land on the Château Margaux estate from around 1658. In 1661, he acquired the neighboring Gassies family residence and began building a vineyard of his own. By the time of his death in 1692, he had established roughly 40 hectares of vines. Pierre is also said, according to tradition, to have served as manager of Château Latour.

This family's branches extended into unexpected places. His daughter Thérèse married Lord Pichon de Longueville, and their line became the origin of the two later Second Growth estates, Pichon Baron and Pichon Comtesse. A single leased plot of land thus branched into the stories of several châteaux.

The Rauzan family's own estate would eventually divide as well. The exact timing varies by source, but through inheritance during the 18th century, it became two separate châteaux: the present-day Rauzan-Ségla and the neighboring Rauzan-Gassies. The name "Ségla" dates to 1785, when the estate's owner Catherine de Rauzan married Baron Pierre-Louis de Ségla. Her husband's surname was added directly to the name of the estate.

An Order Across the Atlantic

By the end of the 18th century, this estate's wine was known even across the Atlantic. In September 1790, Thomas Jefferson — who had previously served as minister to France and was at the time the first U.S. Secretary of State — is said to have learned of the wine's reputation during a tour of the Bordeaux region, and requested ten dozen bottles, 120 in all, in a letter to Joseph Fenwick, who would later be appointed the first U.S. consul in Bordeaux. A covering note addressed to Madame de Rauzan, wife of the estate's head, was enclosed as well. The following January, in 1791, Madame de Rauzan herself replied, recording that she had sent 100 bottles of the 1785 vintage and 25 of the 1786 vintage, 125 in total. This exchange of letters survives today as a primary source in the U.S. National Archives (Founders Archives).

Sixty-five years after that 1790 order, in 1855, this estate was certified as a Second Growth — a Deuxième Cru Classé.

A Change in Spelling, and the Family Behind Chanel

The château's spelling changed once in its history. In 1903, when the Cruse family took over management, the name was written as "Rausan-Ségla" (with an s). This spelling remained in use for roughly the next 90 years.

In 1994, the estate passed to the Wertheimer family. Brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer — the family that owns the Paris fashion house Chanel — acquired it not as a corporate holding but as a family asset. At the same time, the spelling reverted to the original "Rauzan-Ségla" (with a z). This is the answer to the question posed at the start: a family that has shaped fashion for the world became the new owner of a Margaux estate.

Day-to-day management has been led by Nicolas Audebert since 2014. He took over following the retirement of his predecessor, John Kolasa, and also oversees the management of the sister estate, Château Canon. As of reporting in 2025, he continues to be named as the estate's general director.

Three Facts Worth Knowing

• The château's spelling changed once in its history. It became "Rausan-Ségla" (with an s) under the Cruse family from 1903, then reverted to the original "Rauzan-Ségla" (with a z) when the Wertheimer family — owners of Chanel — acquired it in 1994.
• The name of the second wine, Ségla, comes from the 1785 marriage of the estate's owner Catherine de Rauzan to Baron de Ségla. Her husband's surname became the name of the estate itself.
• The neighboring Château Rauzan-Gassies was originally part of the same Rauzan family estate. Unlike Léoville or Pichon, where the division came after the Classification, the two had already become separate Second Growth estates by the time of the 1855 Classification.