Cazes wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Jean-Michel Cazes, owner of Château Lynch-Bages, has been given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the drinks business and the Institute of Masters of Wine.

The announcement was made in front of representatives from across the trade during a celebratory lunch at Vinexpo yesterday (Tuesday 21 June).

Established in 2005, previous recipients of this prestigious award include the late Robert Mondavi and Marchese Piero Antinori.

Charlotte Hey, director of the drinks business, welcomed guests, saying: "it is imperative that we really push the boundaries and recognise those people who innovate in the most natural sense and the most passionate sense."

She was joined on stage by Lynne Sherriff MW, chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, who listed Cazes’ many and varied achievements, from a top engineering degree to careers in the French airforce and IBM, before he eventually returned to help transform his family business in Pauillac.

With wine interests stretching well beyond Bordeaux to the Languedoc, Châteauneuf du Pape, Portugal and Australia, Cazes was described by Sherriff as "a wine ambassador extraordinaire, a wine ambassador international and a wine ambassador of Bordeaux."

Having accepted his award on stage, Cazes expressed thanks for the recognition, remarking: "The previous recipients of the award are people I respect and admire. They are wine legends and I am proud to follow in their footsteps."

Pointing to his son Jean-Charles and daughter Marina in the audience, Cazes observed: "The fourth generation is now in the driving seat and will continue to lead after I am gone, although", he added, "at the moment I have no desire to do so."

Bringing his short speech to a close, Cazes said: "I wish you all very simply to be in the future as happy as I have been in the past."

Gabriel Savage, 22.06.2011