Château Latour: Allied Lyons
In 1989 Allied Lyons, a large and successful brewing corporation, acquired a share in the estate following their purchase of Harvey’s of Bristol, after which they then went on to buy up as many other shares as they could identify, and eventually they found themselves in possession of 93% of the business, with the Beaumont family holding on to the remaining 7%. At this point Jean-Paul Gardère left to be replaced by John Kolasa, a Scot who Gardère had recruited in 1987.
Château Latour did not remain with Allied Lyons for very long; its acquisition by the brewery was something of a surprise, but the sale by the new owners just a few years later was perhaps not such a shock. There was considerable speculation as to the identity of the new owners, with names such as Wertheimer and AXA Millésimes frequently bandied about. The Wertheimer family are owners of Chanel, and despite partaking in secret negotiations with the Latour team the three Wertheimer brothers lost out on the deal; word leaked out that the property was for sale, and when French billionaire François Pinault got wind of this news he flew in by helicopter and more or less signed a deal on the spot. The Wertheimer family were out; instead they went on to buy Château Rauzan-Ségla and Château Canon, both estates which have benefited greatly from their ownership.
