Former president of the “Cartier” company from 1975 until 1998, Alain now merges his love of beauty and creation of exceptional products by creating renowned wines in Cahors.
Chateau Lagrézette is a testament to the vision of Alain Dominique Perrin, who fully restored the 16th century estate and added his collection of modern art after purchasing the abandoned vineyard in the 1970’s. An antique dealer and entrepreneur, Alain has spent the last 3 decades rehabilitating the winery. Today, Chateau Lagrezette is one of the most respected wineries in France, producing high-quality wines that have received critical acclaim.
”My life story is with luxury, my life story is with fashion,” says Perrin. “And the only part of my life where fashion doesn’t mean anything is my wine business. Wine is not fashion. Wine is an art de vivre; it’s an elegance; it’s about taste; it’s about food and I think that France is the country where food and wine became the most important part of their culture.” – Alain Perrin
Alain became one of the first patrons of contemporary art in France in 1984, with the creation of the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, in Paris, which he still presides. He is also President of the Jeu de Paume Museum.
In 1990, Alain’s love of teaching led him to create the first school of luxury marketing in France, “Sup de Luxe,” within the business school EDC (Ecole des Dirigeants et Créateurs d’Entreprise), which delivers a Master’s degree ranked among the best in France for post-baccalaureate schools!
As an avid wine lover, Perrin has said that Cahors is the most beautiful part of France, and even owns other properties in Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Cedric Blanc
In 2007, Alain Dominique Perrin named Cedric Blancas the new winemaker of Château Lagrézette. Cedric’s experience with blending different grapes together was a perfect fit for Alain Dominique’s vision to make high-quality wines that could compete with the best in the world!
Cedric studied science at the University in Bordeaux and chose to become a winemaker after seeing an oenologist speak passionately about the field during a job forum. After getting his oenologist degree, he worked a lot in the Médoc area in different châteaus like Phélan Ségur or Chasse-Spleen and went on to work for Moët Hennessy Estates & Wines as assistant winemaker for Cloudy Bay (New Zealand), Cape Mentelle (Australia), and Newton Vineyard (Napa Valley) prior to beginning his work at Château Lagrézette in 2007.
When asked what sets Château Lagrézette apart from other wineries, Cedric said, “Of course, the owner M. Alain Dominique Perrin. He started to plant vines in 1985 and gave the different viticulturists and winemakers the best vineyards to work with and the best equipment in the cellar to produce very good wines. He wanted to make the best Malbec in the world.”
Since Cedric Blanc joined the team at Château Lagrézette, the vineyard has produced some of the most highly-rated wines in France. With Cedric’s expertise, Château Lagrézette has become one of the most prestigious wine producers in Cahors.