New blood at Ch Palmer

Young winemaker Thomas Duroux moves from Ornellaia on the Tuscan coast to Margaux at the end of this week to take over the reins as general manager at Ch Palmer from Bertrand Bouteiller who has been working at the famous third growth for the last 40 years.

Duroux is an impressive character, French-born with an Italian mother and deep-seated admiration for west-coasts as great Cabernet-growing regions: Bordeaux, Bolgheri, northern California, Margaret River (those last two may be my own additions). You can read more about him at http://www.jancisrobinson.com/sub02/jrs02123.htm and http://www.jancisrobinson.com/jr790.htm.

His winemaking talent is not in doubt and his diplomatic skills...