How did Jean-Pierre Moueix get into the wine trade?

Wine was not really a tradition in the Moueix family. Jean-Pierre was born in 1913 in Correze. Here, in New Aquitaine, Bordeaux was truly not far away. But his parents were not really into wine. That only changed when the family moved to Saint-Émilion after the Great Depression in 1929. It was here that his father bought Château Fonroque, in order to make a living from wine production. Jean-Pierre Moueix, however, did not want to follow in his father's footsteps. He had his sights set on becoming a négociant, a wine merchant. In 1937, at the age of just 24, he founded the trading company that would bear his name.

Why did Jean-Pierre Moueix focus on Saint-Émilion and Pomerol?

As if it wasn't impressive enough that a 24-year-old young man founded a wine trading company at a time when the Second World War was already casting its shadow, Jean-Pierre Moueix was even more courageous. Namely by making the decision to initially trade exclusively with wines from the Libournais, which also includes the two appellations Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. Today, these appellations are world-famous. But in the 1930s, the wines were hardly known even in France. Simply because the quality was not yet so good.

However, Jean-Pierre Moueix, who lived in Saint-Émilion himself, saw a great opportunity in this. On the one hand, he was able to buy the wines cheaply. On the other hand, he was not far from the châteaux in the area. He consistently remained in dialogue with the producers, exchanged ideas with winemakers and, thanks to his persistence and convincing manner, was able to improve the quality of many a wine simply through conversation. He quickly made a name for himself as a wine merchant, survived the German occupation of Bordeaux during the Second World War and was one of the first Bordeaux négociants to enjoy renewed economic success after the war.

Why did Jean-Pierre Moueix buy various châteaux in the 1950s?

However, many Bordeaux châteaux were unable to repeat this economic success after the war. Their cellars – and thus their treasuries – were empty. This was because they had been systematically plundered by the German occupiers during the war. In addition, all French wine-growing regions were short of male labour. Too many men had been killed in the Second World War or had returned home crippled and traumatised. Many vineyards were therefore facing financial ruin. If Jean-Pierre Moueix had not bought and consolidated them, they would have had to close their doors for good. Moueix was, however, a businessman and not just a philanthropist. He firmly believed in the quality of the vineyards and was sure that he would make a great profit by buying them.

In 1952, Jean-Pierre Moueix acquired Château Magdelaine in Saint-Émilion, which was classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B three years later. This was followed by the acquisition of the Châteaux Trotanoy, La Fleur Pétrus and Lagrange in Pomerol in 1953. In 1963, he took over the management of Château Latour à Pomerol. In 1964, he took over the management of Château Pétrus, a property that he acquired a little later. Among other things, he bought Château La Grave (1971) and Château Lafleur Gazin (1973). Of course, only in the 1950s were the châteaux reasonably affordable. It is rumoured that Jean-Pierre Moueix paid a spectacularly high sum for Pétrus. Fortunately, thanks to the success of his other estates, he was able to afford it at the time.

Which châteaux all belong to Jean-Pierre Moueix?

Until 2000, dozens of châteaux belonged to the Moueix empire. Not only in Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, but also in Médoc and Fronsac. However, Jean-Pierre's son Christian restructured the company at the turn of the millennium and parted with 13 properties. There is still a lot of movement in the company today. In general, Moueix lists eight properties in Pomerol, four vineyards in Saint-Émilion and four wineries in California's Napa Valley. Wait a minute! Moueix is also active in the United States? Yes. But more on that later. Let's stay with Jean-Pierre Moueix for a moment before we turn our attention to his son Christian.

Does Jean-Pierre Moueix own only châteaux?

No, in fact, not only are the vineyards and the wine trade owned by Jean-Pierre Moueix, but also another world-famous négociant. Duclot, to be precise. This was bought by Jean-Pierre Moueix himself and has been in the family for three generations. For decades, Jean-Pierre's eldest son Jean-François Moueix ran the business here. He now only sits on the supervisory board, while his son Jean has taken over the management. Duclot now has several subsidiaries specialising in the hospitality industry and catering, spirits and mineral water. The wine trade also includes a bodega on Menorca. In addition, Duclot releases a very rare Bordeaux collection in a collector's box every year, which is in high demand all over the world.

Is Jean-Pierre Moueix still alive?

No. Jean-Pierre Moueix died in 2003 at the age of 90. His two sons joined the family business in the late 1960s and 1970s. While the first-born son Jean-François Moueix was responsible for expanding the Duclot trading company, his younger brother Christian was given a completely different task. And since Christian Moueix has become a legend in the wine industry himself, let's take a closer look at his responsibilities.

What role does Christian Moueix play in the family business?

As already mentioned, Christian Moueix joined the family business in 1970. He was only 24 years old at the time, just like his father when he founded his empire. As early as 1968, Christian Moueix was drawn to California, where he studied viticulture at the famous UC Davis. During this time, he got to know and appreciate Californian wines. A fact that would become very important a few years later.

After graduating, Christian Moueix initially took charge of the family business's viticulture activities. In other words, he was responsible for maintaining the quality of the wines produced by all the companies. Quite a big responsibility for such a young man. Later, he also took on the commercial tasks. Before becoming president of the Jean-Pierre Moueix trading company in 1991. He also followed in his father's footsteps by acquiring further vineyards. These included Château Hosanna in 1999, Château Providence in 2005 and the historic Château Bélair, Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, in 2008.

What are Christian Moueix's achievements?

As if that were not impressive enough, Christian Moueix had another passion for wine that led him back to California at the same time. In 1982, he founded the Dominus winery with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, daughter of the famous winemaker John Daniels. The first wine of the same name was produced in 1983. The Dominus Winery also produces the legendary Napanook and another Bordeaux blend called Othello. Moueix thus founded the first wine joint venture in the United States, making him an absolute pioneer in the field. In 2008, he also acquired Ulysses Vineyard, another iconic winery in California that is one of the top wineries in the region.

Who is currently running the family empire?

Even at the age of 78, Christian Moueix is not yet thinking of retiring. However, since 2003, his son Edouard (born 1977) has been actively supporting him. Edouard Moueix immediately focused on developing the distribution of wines from the left bank, Graves and Sauternes. He was also instrumental in the acquisition of Château Bélair Monange, Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, in 2008 and the expansion of Château La Fleur-Pétrus in Pomerol with the integration of a historic plot on the Pomerol plateau in 2012. Like his father and grandfather before him, Edouard Moueix is driven above all by the pursuit of quality.