Charles Chevallier, Longtime Director Of Lafite Rothschild Wine Estate, To Step Down

Charles Chevallier, the longtime director of Château Lafite Rothschild in Bourdeaux — owned by the dynastic Rothschild family — will step down from his post at the end of the year, the wine estate has announced.

Lafite, which has been under the direction of Éric de Rothschild since 1974, is recognized one of the most prestigious wineries in the world, producing mainly cabernet sauvignon. In 1855, Lafite Rothschild was named one of the best wines in Bourdeaux out of thousands, receiving the rank of Premier Cru, or First Growth. Lafite has since retained its prominent standing.

Chevallier will take on a new position within Domaines Barons de Rothschild as the company's senior advisor and brand ambassador, a role created especially for Chevallier. In his place, another longtime DBR employee, Eric Kohler, will take over as the technical director of DBR properties — Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Duhart-Milon, Château L'Evangile, and Château Rieussec. Kohler, who began working at Lafite in 1994, is a trained agricultural engineer and enologist like Chevallier.

"Now it's time for him to lead Lafite for the next 15 years," Christophe Salin, president and CEO of DBR, told Wine Spectator. "DBR is a family business. I don't like to hire from the outside. I often say, we farm the land and the people."