NAPA VALLEY, California, March 24, 2023 — Axel Heinz has been appointed CEO of Château Lascombes, a renowned Second Growth situated in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux, The Lawrence Family and Carlton McCoy, Jr. MS are delighted to announce.
In Italy’s Bolgheri area of Tuscany, Heinz most recently served as the esteemed Estate Director of Ornellaia and Masseto since 2015. He started working for Ornellaia as a winemaker in 2005. Heinz worked at Château La Tour Carnet in Saint Laurent du Medoc as well as domaines in Macau en Médoc and later Saint-Emilion while pursuing his studies in agronomy at the University of Bordeaux with a focus in viticulture and enology.
According to McCoy, managing partner of Lawrence Wine Estates, “Axel is a master of his craft and the work he has done while supervising Ornellaia and Masseto have taken this already heralded estate to new heights.” I’m excited to collaborate with Axel to realize Château Lascombes’ maximum potential as one of the world’s top wine estates.
Château Lascombes creates intricate, age-worthy wines by fusing power, elegance, smoothness, and tannins. In the initial Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, the wine made here was categorized as one of fifteen Seconds Crus (Second Growths). A block of clay gravel planted with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, a block of clay gravel planted with Petit Verdot, and clay-limestone plots that produce the best expression of Merlot make up the estate vineyard, which covers about 100 Ha and contains the most sought-after plots in Margaux.
Heinz expressed his excitement and pride at joining Château Lascombes. “It’s time for me to go home after spending the last 18 years in Tuscany. Together with Carlton and Gaylon Lawrence, Jr., I want to guide this storied Bordeaux estate into its next exciting phase.
The Lawrence Wine Estates
An increasing number of wine estates in France and the Napa Valley are supported by Lawrence Wine Estates. Bordeaux wineries with a long history and distinctive estate vines at their foundations, such as Heitz Cellar, Haynes, Burgess, Ink Grade, Brendel, Stony Hill vines, and Château Lascombes, are included in the collection. Carlton McCoy, Jr., a Master Sommelier and Managing Partner, oversees Lawrence Wine Estates. To produce wines of the greatest caliber that are pure and well-balanced, all estate wineries adhere to conventional winemaking theories and place a high value on biodynamic farming practices.
