The local bank Crédit Agricole is ubiquitous throughout France, indeed is our very own bank here in the Languedoc. Every village of any size has a branch, it seems, and presumably it plays a major role in financing the entire French wine industry.
What is less well known is that the Groupe Crédit Agricole has a subsidiary that owns and runs several fine-wine properties – Chx Grand-Puy Ducasse, Meyney, La Tour du Mons and Blaignan and Clos St-Vincent in Bordeaux and Ch de Santenay in Burgundy. Thierry Budin, born into the champagne business, has been at the helm since 2006...