Bordeaux on the Brink Part 2

Bordeaux is a famous wine region currently beset by woes. The question is: where does it go from here? How can it harness its historic legacy and fighting spirit to get beyond the current crisis?!

One man who has answers is Laurent David of Château Edmus. A former Apple chief (who launched the iphone into Europe), he's not afraid to ruffle feathers in the ultra-traditional Saint-Emilion neighbourhood, making de-alcoholised 'Grand Cru' (and gin with the offcuts), chillable 'claret' red and a wine 'for geeks'.

Laurent declares the en primeur system 'dead meat', and has adopted a wine club/direct sales model, inspired by Napa and Burgundy. He says Bordeaux producers need to be 'obsessive' about not only the product but also their customers.

'Wine has a mission in 2026/7', he declares: 'to reconnect people in real life.'

This is the second and concluding episode in our Bordeaux mini-series, in which we say what we think Bordeaux needs to do to reinvent itself (Susie even comes up with an alternative name suggestion for the contentious new 'claret' category...)

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