Lafite’s Chevallier to step down

The longstanding technical director of Château Lafite, Charles Chevallier, is to step down in the new year.

Domaines Barons de Rothschild (DBR) has announced that Chevallier (pictured) will step down as technical director, a role he has held for two decades, in January 2016.

He will take up a position at the company of ‘senior advisor’, while Eric Kohler will become technical director of Lafite, Duhart-Milon, Evangile and Rieussec.

Kohler has worked at DBR since 1994, spending time at the company’s other vineyards in Argentina, Languedoc-Roussillon, Chile and China, “missions that he has carried out with energy and success,” according to DBR.

Chevallier’s new role will see him put in charge of relations with private and public institutions, universities and educational centres as well as acting as a global ambassador for DBR’s wines.

He joined DBR in 1982, was put in charge of Rieussec in 1985 and became technical director of Lafite in 1994.

“He has played an important role in Lafite’s renewed success in recent years,” the estate said in a statement.

Furthermore, Olivier Tregoat who has worked as an advisor for the group for the last decade has now joined the group and will act as technical director for all the company’s properties outside of Bordeaux.