True wine enthusiasts will identify with the concept of a “star winemaker”, and if they’re lucky, they’ll hold a precious memory or two of meeting and tasting with one – whether that is Aubert de Villaine (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti), Jacques Guinaudeau (Château Lafleur), Gianfranco Soldera, or Angelo Gaja – the list goes on. The notion that a winemaker’s personality is encapsulated in the bottles they produce is romantic, but certainly not false. One need only taste the wines of Emmanuel Reynaud (Château Rayas) to understand the power of stylistic imprint. But how resilient does this make the estate in question over time? What happens when their star winemaker chooses to take a different route?
The Risk of Singular Identity
The obvious risk in producing a wine so closely tied to its maker is legacy – what happens to the wines and their reputation once the star is no longer shining? Domaine Leroy, and the legendary Lalou-Bize offer a prime example. Her intimate involvement with both estate and “maison” wines has left many asking what will happen once she no longer holds the reins. Even within more commercially structured wineries, the departure of a strong figurehead can pose a threat to the brand. Ornellaia recently faced this challenge when its Head Winemaker, Axel Heinz, left the Tuscan estate to join Château Lascombes in Bordeaux.
Transcending the Individual
Fortunately, many great estates have shown that their reputation can transcend the individual. In Ornellaia’s case — as with others — thoughtful succession planning made all the difference: a stable team ensured the brand’s name and DNA remained intact. Both Gianfranco Soldera and Angelo Gaja involved their children early, making the passing of the torch a core part of their estates’ philosophies. These wineries brand themselves not just through personality, but through terroir, tradition, and a clearly defined ethos – ensuring resilience and persistence for their brand names as well as continuity even as leadership evolves.
The Perfect Balance
Ultimately, a delicate balance between the work of man and nature – human vision and nature’s expression – is required for a wine estate to endure across generations. Bordeaux’s First Growths corroborate this theory: while winemakers at Haut-Brion or Latour may come and go (as they must, given these estates’ 500-year histories), it is the estates themselves that determine their legacy – not the individuals behind them. This does not diminish the importance of the individual. In the right hands, a strong leader can steer a winery toward greatness. But that greatness must be institutionalised – clearly established and embedded in philosophy, practice, and people – if it is to last.