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Many Chinese investors are currently withdrawing from Bordeaux. This is reported by the industry magazine Drinks Business. The reason is primarily a lack of profitability. Château Latour Laguens was one of the first Bordeaux wineries purchased by a Chinese company in 2009. The owners acquired the estate in hopes of achieving high returns in the domestic market in China. More than 200 other wineries in southwest France followed. Between 2010 and 2016 alone, over 100 wineries in the region were sold to Chinese investors. Now, Château Latour Laguens is up for auction without vineyards, starting at a price of 150,000 euros. According to the South China Morning Post, about 50 Bordeaux Châteaux are currently for sale. However, there are hardly any interested parties, so some wineries are already being offered for less than half their purchase price.
In May 2024, French authorities seized nine Châteaux that had been acquired in the 2010s by Chinese magnate Naijie Qu. In 2022, the head of the Hong Kong company SGV Wines sold four Châteaux — Golden Rabbit, Imperial Rabbit, Great Antelope, and Tibetan Antelope — back to French investors.
Beijing's decision to impose strict capital controls has put investors in a difficult position. Many are struggling to get their money out of China. Additionally, there is declining demand for Bordeaux wines. According to Drinks Business, these two factors have fueled the exodus from the region.
Some Asian investors are now turning to other French regions. Joe Tsai, billionaire and chairman and co-founder of the Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba, has reportedly invested in a consortium that is acquiring vineyard parcels in Burgundy. According to the Taiwanese-Canadian businessman, there is particularly interest in areas in Gevrey-Chambertin, the most important wine village in the Côte d’Or in Burgundy.
(ru / Drinks Business)