Napa Valley, CA (March 24, 2023) — The Lawrence Family and Carlton McCoy, Jr. MS are thrilled to announce that Axel Heinz has been named Chief Executive Officer of Château Lascombes, a storied Second Growth located in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux.
Heinz most recently was the acclaimed Estate Director of Ornellaia and Masseto in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany, Italy since 2015. He began as winemaker for Ornellaia in 2005. Heinz studied agronomy with a specialization in viticulture and enology at University in Bordeaux and worked at Château La Tour Carnet, in Saint Laurent du Medoc, as well as domaines in Macau en Médoc and later Saint-Emilion.
“Axel is a master of his craft and the work he has done while overseeing Ornellaia and Masseto have taken this already heralded estate to new heights,” said McCoy, Chief Executive Officer of Lawrence Wine Estates. “I am thrilled to work with Axel to bring Château Lascombes to its full potential as one of the greatest wine estates in the world.”
Combining power, elegance, smoothness and tannins, Château Lascombes crafts age worthy wines with great complexity. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Seconds Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The estate vineyard (spanning roughly 100 Ha) is made up of the most sought-after plots in Margaux, composed of a unique mix of soil-types for this appellation: a gravelly outcrop planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, a block of clay-gravel made up of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and clay-limestone plots which produce an optimal expression of Merlot.
“I am excited and honored to join Château Lascombes,” Heinz said. “After 18 years spent in Tuscany it is time for me to return home. Along with Gaylon Lawrence, Jr. and Carlton, I intend on leading this historic Bordeaux estate into its next great chapter.”
About Lawrence Wine Estates
Lawrence Wine Estates supports a growing collection of wine estates in Napa Valley and France. The collection includes Heitz Cellar, Haynes, Burgess, Ink Grade, Brendel, Stony Hill Vineyards, and Château Lascombes in Bordeaux – all wineries with a deep legacy that are anchored by distinct estate vineyards. Lawrence Wine Estates is led by Master Sommelier and Chief Executive Officer Carlton McCoy, Jr. All the estate wineries honor traditional winemaking philosophies and prioritize biodynamic farming techniques to create pure and balanced wines of the highest quality.
