Bernard Magrez’s life-story has been one of passion, constant search for perfection, savoir-faire and outstanding success. It began in Bordeaux, then continued at Grand Cru Classé wine estates and later in other prestigious terroirs in France and around the world. The winning quartet ─ In the 1980s, Bernard Magrez’s decision to focus on top-end wine estates, proved a crucial turning point in his career. His first acquisition was Château Pape Clément, the famous Graves Grand Cru Classé, which had been classified for some thirty years by then. Next came Château Fombrauge, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé; Château La Tour Carnet, a Médoc Grand Cru Classé since 1855; then, among another eighteen renowned wine estates in France, Clos Haut Peyraguey, a Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé. It proved a four-fold masterstroke and made him the only person to own four prestigious wine estates at the same time. A passion without borders ─ Since there was no good reason to stay within the confines of familiar territory, and because his passion for making new discoveries was still burning strong, Bernard Magrez characteristically looked further afield. He subsequently acquired vineyards in eight different countries: Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and the USA. A total of 43 wine estates made up of over 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) of vines. What better illustration of this man’s taste for challenge! Art is a living thing. Its draws its existence from each of us, and from what surrounds us ─ It was now October 2011. Château Labottière, located within central Bordeaux, had just become the Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute, a place where sponsors could support and receive numerous contemporary artists and help enhance their reputations. The concept was for the Institute to provide a shared platform for artistic creation, while giving opportunities to the public to interact and make new discoveries. Each of us could thus renew and deepen our connections with culture and inspirational works. Bernard Magrez’s passion for art however didn’t stop there. In 2016, his Bernard Magrez Foundation entrusted four musical instruments judged to be “World Treasures” to four highly-promising musicians. Whether the focus is tradition or innovation, history or the future, Bernard Magrez’s commitment and support are given in a perfectly balanced way. Injustice as the enemy ─ With enthusiasm and determination as his sole credentials, Bernard Magrez learned over the years how to create opportunities. The world he built up reflects as much his strength of character as his passions. But his extraordinary career has made him acutely aware that not all human beings are born equal in terms of prosperity. He therefore provides support for La Maison de L’Espoir (The House of Hope), a Thai orphanage which is home to 80 children, who are given the comforts of educational training, medical care, recreational activities and also the opportunity to learn a trade in farming. Elsewhere, his support in the fight against cancer in France has won him the “Prix de La Charte de Paris” award, while the Bergonié foundation in Bordeaux and the International Research Institute for Rare Cancers benefit every year from his substantial involvement. Excellence always prospers from innovation ─ To ensure that his wine estates are meticulously looked after, Bernard Magrez targets perfection as always. And it is technological innovation that now underpins his vine-growing strategy. Sensor-equipped drones monitor the vines; the estates’ Scientific Centre works tirelessly to detect outbreaks of many types of disease; while weather hazards are monitored by two weather stations, plot by plot, on a daily basis. The Château Fombrauge estate has acquired the latest generation electric robot for vineyards as an efficient alternative to using herbicides, while Château Pape Clément has been equipped with digitally-connected barrels. Last but not least, since 2016, each bottle coming from a Bernard Magrez Grand Cru estate carries an authentication seal, making its traceability transparent for consumers. These are just some examples of how innovation underpins excellence.