French wine baron convicted over rankings scandal
A renowned Bordeaux vineyard owner was found guilty on Monday of giving prestigious official rankings to wines in which he had financial interests or acted as an adviser, a scandal that infuriated rivals who missed out on the lucrative distinctions.
Hubert de Bouard, co-owner of the Chateau Angelus of Saint-Emilion fame - whose bottles sell for hundreds if not thousands of euros - was fined €40,000 by a court in Bordeaux, southwest France.
De Bouard, 65, was charged with conflict of interest over his role in determining the Grand Cru rankings for Saint-Emilion wines from 2010 to 2012, which saw Angelus promoted to the top "A" ranking.
At the time he sat on the national wines committee for France's National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), the guardian of the country's strict food and wine appellations.
He was also member of the Saint-Emilion wine industry association that helped define the INAO criteria for the rankings.
Eight other vineyards where De Bouard was an adviser or director also got the coveted awards.
A fellow member of the INAO panel, Philippe Casteja, a wine merchant and owner of the Chateau Trotte Vieille - whose "B" ranking was upheld in 2012 - was acquitted.
Three rival vineyards excluded from the rankings joined the case as plaintiffs, saying the system had been rigged against them, though both De Bouard and Casteja denied any wrongdoing.
Comments (1)
See Also
Hubert de Bouard, co-owner of the Chateau Angelus of Saint-Emilion fame - whose bottles sell for hundreds if not thousands of euros - was fined €40,000 by a court in Bordeaux, southwest France.
De Bouard, 65, was charged with conflict of interest over his role in determining the Grand Cru rankings for Saint-Emilion wines from 2010 to 2012, which saw Angelus promoted to the top "A" ranking.
At the time he sat on the national wines committee for France's National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), the guardian of the country's strict food and wine appellations.
He was also member of the Saint-Emilion wine industry association that helped define the INAO criteria for the rankings.
Eight other vineyards where De Bouard was an adviser or director also got the coveted awards.
A fellow member of the INAO panel, Philippe Casteja, a wine merchant and owner of the Chateau Trotte Vieille - whose "B" ranking was upheld in 2012 - was acquitted.
Three rival vineyards excluded from the rankings joined the case as plaintiffs, saying the system had been rigged against them, though both De Bouard and Casteja denied any wrongdoing.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.