Château Léoville-Las-Cases: Théophile Skawinski
Théophile Skawinski was working in the region as a régisseur and he was also, I suspect, a very shrewd character. In 1901 the domaine was in need of a new régisseur and clearly he was the ideal man for the job. Skawinski poured his heart and soul into the property, aiming for the highest quality possible. Perhaps one of his most significant decisions was the separating out of the vineyards of the Clos du Marquis, which lie on the inland side of the D2 as you drive into the village in a southwards direction. This was the birth of this St Julien cru which has often, erroneously, been regarded as the domaine’s second wine. It isn’t of course as, like several other wines in the region, although made in the same chai the wine reflects a specific terroir, and should therefore be considered distinct from the grand vin on that basis.
As well as working hard in the vineyard, Théophile Skawinski paid good attention to the business side of things. As a result, by 1929, he had acquired 13 of the original 20 shares, and thus as majority shareholder he effectively owned the estate.
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