249-250

*Chapter 249: Romanée-Conti*

Unexpectedly, Bernard Arnault surrendered, much to Milo's surprise.

To be precise, it wasn’t just Bernard Arnault but the people behind him. They approached Milo, expressing their willingness to sell him the 33.4% stake in the LVMH Group, facilitating Milo's plans to privatize and delist the company.

The reason was simple: Bernard Arnault’s biggest creditor had never been French banks.

It was an American credit investment firm, none other than Fidelity Investments, the company once associated with the so-called "Stock Angel," Peter Lynch.

Think about it—decades ago, while Bernard Arnault was the son of a wealthy family, how much money could he truly possess?

Yet, as soon as he returned from the U.S., he had the means to acquire tens of billions of francs’ worth of LVMH shares on the stock market.

And let’s not forget, this was tens of billions of francs decades ago, a sum that would easily equate to over a hundred billion in today’s value, accounting for inflation.

Even before the Vuitton family’s son-in-law, Michel Giat, unwittingly invited Bernard Arnault into the LVMH Group, he already controlled about 29% of its shares.

Where did a previously unknown thirty-something with a family fortune barely worth tens of billions of francs get the money to acquire so many shares?

The answer was simple—backers. Someone provided the funds, using his name to bypass the then-suspicious and heavily monitored French government policies against foreign investments in domestic enterprises.

That foreign consortium was Fidelity Investments, headquartered in Boston.

And Fidelity Investments? Its Boston headquarters made it clear that it was a financial tool of the Boston Brahmins.

As for Milo?

He was now regarded by the Boston Brahmins as one of the most outstanding leaders of the younger generation.

So, even though Bernard Arnault had nearly paid off his debts to Fidelity, once Milo stepped in to take control of LVMH, all it took was a word to the folks back home.

Fidelity promptly pressured Bernard Arnault.

Through a combination of coercion, persuasion, and making Arnault understand what he was up against, the French tycoon finally relented, agreeing to sell his 33.4% stake in LVMH.

Milo, not being overly harsh, purchased these shares at the same valuation offered to the founding families.

This brought Milo’s ownership in LVMH to over 70%, triggering the privatization buyback threshold and setting the process in motion smoothly.

The contract was finalized in a Paris Bank conference room.

After signing the agreement, just as Milo was about to excuse himself, he saw David Baptiste retrieve a bottle of wine from a cabinet. Smiling, Baptiste said,

“Mr. Blackburn, how about celebrating our successful cooperation with some fine wine?”

“This is from the Lafite vineyard, owned by the Rothschild family—an 1787 vintage. It’s been cellared for nearly 210 years, a true delight!”

Milo glanced at David Baptiste, Bernard Arnault, and the Fidelity representatives nearby.

In Western tradition, it wasn’t uncommon to celebrate deals with champagne or wine. Given the French penchant for fine wine, Milo wasn’t particularly surprised.

As for the Lafite vineyard, yes, it’s that Lafite vineyard.

And the Rothschild family? In Chinese, they are known as the "洛希尔家族," or the Rothschilds.

Indeed, the legendary Lafite belongs to the Rothschilds.

With the wine already presented, it wouldn’t be polite to decline.

Smiling, Milo nodded and said, “I’ve never had the chance to taste wine aged over two centuries. I imagine this will be a remarkable experience!”

Hearing Milo’s words, David Baptiste chuckled as he opened the bottle and gracefully poured the wine into goblets.

“Cheers to our successful cooperation!”

“Indeed, cheers!”

As the glasses clinked, Milo, slightly cautious, noticed everyone else genuinely drinking the wine.

With no warnings from his instincts, Milo discreetly took a sip himself, savoring the taste.

The nearly 200-year-old Lafite wine had an incredibly smooth texture and a rich, aromatic flavor—a result only time could cultivate and ferment.

The taste was indeed exquisite!

Milo smiled and complimented, “The wine is rich and the texture exceptional!”

David Baptiste was visibly pleased with Milo's praise. Smiling, he added,

“Mr. Blackburn, if you enjoy Lafite, there aren’t many bottles of the 1787 vintage left, but our bank’s club still has a few vintages over a century old. Shall I have some sent to you?”

David Baptiste was keen to foster a good relationship with Milo.

After all, in this acquisition of LVMH, David Baptiste and Paris Bank seemed to be the biggest winners.

For Milo, it was a considerable expenditure.

The acquisition came with a nearly 40% premium, along with the preemptive buyback of corporate bonds, totaling close to $8 billion—far exceeding LVMH’s market value.

Given that the luxury market had yet to see explosive growth, Milo was clearly taking a financial hit.

As for Bernard Arnault, after over a decade of effort and calculated scheming, he had been ousted.

To make matters worse, he sold his stake at half its peak value, making him the biggest loser.

The founding families didn’t gain much either.

Thus, the true beneficiary appeared to be David Baptiste.

Paris Bank, without even risking any principal, had leveraged connections to earn nearly $200 million in just one month.

David Baptiste himself was set to pocket a $30 million commission.

So now, of course, he wanted to please Milo, this high-profile client, as much as possible.

What if Milo decided to make another acquisition in France or Europe in the future? If he could choose BNP Paribas again, a few bottles of red wine would be nothing.

Even if he gave Milo all the red wine he had, Davy Baptiste would still think it was worth it!

However, Milo smiled, shook his head, and politely declined, saying, "Mr. Baptiste, thank you for your generosity, but there's no need. The LVMH Group owns thousands of acres of vineyards. While most of them produce champagne and brandy, there are still some that produce high-quality red wine."

Davy Baptiste said with slight regret, "Alright, if you insist!"

On the way back, Milo realized that the LVMH Group he had just successfully acquired, as the unseen giant of the European wine industry, surprisingly did not own a single top-tier winery. This seemed somewhat unworthy of its status.

Honestly, in France, the land of wine, owning a top-tier winery would undoubtedly be an excellent choice.

Just like how the Rothschild family owns Château Lafite, it's a symbol, a calling card.

Moreover, considering the flourishing wine market in the future, acquiring one or two top-tier wineries now would undoubtedly be a highly profitable investment.

After making up his mind, Milo returned to the company and immediately instructed André to gather information on top-tier wineries in France to identify suitable acquisition targets.

Meanwhile, the delisting process for the LVMH Group officially began.

Once everything settled, the LVMH Group would truly become the Blackburn family’s flagship in the luxury market.

It would also finally complete a major piece of the media empire Milo had envisioned.

The next afternoon, André efficiently compiled the information on France’s top-tier wineries.

Walking into Milo's office, André held a stack of documents and reported, "Boss, Alain Chevalier is very knowledgeable in the wine industry. I had him assist me in gathering this information. After three rounds of verification, this should be the most comprehensive report available!"

"André, thank you for your hard work. Leave the materials here. If I need anything, I’ll let you know," Milo said with a satisfied smile, dismissing André.

Milo then began reviewing the information on France’s top-tier wineries.

The world’s most renowned wines come from France, and the country’s ten most prestigious wine brands of later generations are all produced by the ten great estates of France.

These ten great estates are Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, Château Pétrus, Château Cheval Blanc, Château Ausone, Château Le Pin, and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Among them, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Margaux, and Château Haut-Brion are known as the "Five Great Estates." These five top-tier wineries are all located on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.

In addition, the Right Bank of Bordeaux is home to three other prestigious estates: Château Pétrus, Château Cheval Blanc, and Château Ausone. Together with the Left Bank’s "Five Great Estates," they are collectively known as the "Eight Great Estates of Bordeaux."

It’s safe to say that Bordeaux is the main production area for France’s top-quality red wines.

Of course, Château Le Pin is still considered a minor player for now.

But Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is different. Located in the Burgundy region, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is widely regarded as the most prestigious red wine estate in the world.

This exceptional vineyard, situated at the heart of the Côte de Nuits sub-region in Burgundy, has elevated the Burgundy wine region to stand alongside Bordeaux.

Furthermore, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is one of the oldest wineries in France, tracing its history back more than 11 centuries to the Saint-Vivant Abbey.

Over the past few days, as Milo pondered his targets for winery acquisitions, his first choice was Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, knowing it was impossible to acquire Rothschild’s Château Lafite.

This preference was partly influenced by a famous line from a movie: "This is Romanée-Conti!"

After reviewing the documents, Milo’s resolve grew stronger.

Compared to Château Lafite’s annual production of approximately 210,000 bottles, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti produces only about 6,000 bottles annually.

While one reason is its smaller vineyard size, another crucial reason is its meticulous focus on quality, with almost three grapevines required to produce a single bottle of wine.

This estate, renamed by Prince de Conti in 1760, has changed hands several times over the past two centuries. Its most recent ownership, since 1942, is split equally between the Duvault-Blochet family and the Leroy family, each holding 50% of the shares.

Since neither family is the original owner and has no deep family legacy tied to it, Milo was confident that he could acquire Domaine de la Romanée-Conti with sufficient financial persuasion.

If a 50% premium wasn’t enough, he’d offer a 100% or even 200% premium. He didn’t believe the Duvault-Blochet and Leroy families could resist such a lucrative deal.

Considering the estate’s immense future potential, the investment was a no-brainer.

Before Milo’s rebirth, a single 1945 bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti sold for 3.86 million yuan, setting a world record for red wine.

The estate had 600 bottles of the 1945 vintage in storage, which could fetch billions in later years if handled correctly.

Recognizing its low production volume, Milo also decided to target Château Latour, ranked second among the "Four Great Estates" in the 1855 classification by Napoleon III.

Though ranked just below Château Lafite in 1855, Château Latour’s development over the years brought it to near parity with Château Lafite, producing around 200,000 bottles annually.

Confident in his plans, Milo instructed André to oversee the acquisitions of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Château Latour.

---

Chapter 250: The Role of Marketing

In Alain Chevalier’s opinion, Armand de Brignac champagne was quite ordinary.

He couldn’t even understand why his boss was interested in that winery.

After Milo briefly reviewed the information Alain had provided, he realized something surprising.

Armand de Brignac, which would later become hugely popular in parts of the U.S. and China, was considered mediocre and unremarkable in its home country, France, the birthplace of champagne.

With a little thought, Milo figured out the reason.

To put it bluntly, the later success of Armand de Brignac wasn’t due to the exceptional quality of its champagne.

Its fame was almost entirely thanks to marketing—a collaboration with a famous Black hip-hop artist and some Hollywood stars turned this otherwise ordinary champagne into a global sensation.

The products of Armand de Brignac weren't inherently worth their exorbitant price.

Replace it with a White Peach, Red Peach, or Green Peach winery—any brand would suffice, as long as the quality wasn’t subpar.

With effective marketing, the success of Armand de Brignac could be replicated entirely.

Understanding this, Milo decided not to obsess over acquiring Armand de Brignac.

He shared his thoughts with Alain Chevalier and instructed him to find a winery with decent quality and a compelling history—or, rather, a good story.

Much like luxury brands, the key to selling products at a high markup lies in ensuring decent quality while leveraging the brand’s history to tell a captivating story.

In essence, it’s all about marketing.

It’s a kind of "intellectual tax," but the elite class thrives on such distinctions.

They yearn to set themselves apart from ordinary people, and luxury goods exist to fulfill that desire.

Luxury is, after all, something that assures quality while signaling exclusivity, making it irresistible to the wealthy.

So, whether it’s Black Peach, Green Peach, or Red Peach, the concept is the same.

What matters is the story—effective marketing.

This is also why Armand de Brignac, despite its fame, rarely graces high-society events.

Its main supporters are hip-hop stars and, occasionally, Hollywood celebrities.

Naturally, this limits its appeal to nightclubs and similar venues.

At prestigious occasions, such as state banquets or elite billionaire soirées, Armand de Brignac is nearly non-existent.

Instead, you’d find Romanée-Conti or Lafite Rothschild wines.

Even slightly less prestigious options, like Château Latour, are more commonly seen.

In short, every social class has its equivalent of “Armand de Brignac.”

While nouveau riche and nightclub enthusiasts adore Armand de Brignac, the so-called old money and aristocrats have their Lafite and Romanée-Conti.

After instructing Alain Chevalier to select a brand for marketing, Milo put the matter out of his mind.

However, the acquisition of the Romanée-Conti winery went smoothly.

Before heading back to the U.S., André finalized the deal.

Milo then decided to visit the Romanée-Conti estate.

Thirty Years Ago

Although the original owners of the estate, the de Villaine and Leroy families, withdrew after selling their shares, it didn’t mean the winery was left without talent.

With over 900 years of history, Romanée-Conti had nurtured numerous small families dedicated exclusively to the winery’s operations.

On the way to the estate, Alain Chevalier briefed Milo about its current situation.

Two families with over 400 years of legacy played a crucial role:

- The Modray family, specializing in winemaking.

- The Knauth family, focused on vineyard cultivation and tree care.

Their enduring collaboration and expertise ensured that Romanée-Conti’s wine maintained its world-class quality.

The departure of the de Villaine and Leroy families primarily affected operations and management, leaving the winery’s core unaffected.

### Visiting Romanée-Conti

Burgundy, located between the Jura Mountains and the southeastern edge of the Paris Basin, lies 251 kilometers from Paris.

After nearly three hours of driving, Milo arrived at Romanée-Conti around 11 a.m.

Alain Chevalier immediately introduced two elderly gentlemen:

“This is Gavin Modray,” he said, gesturing to the 68-year-old.

“And this is Jobst Knauth, 62.”

“Gentlemen, this is Mr. Blackburn, the true owner of the estate I’ve been telling you about!”

Milo’s gentle demeanor and warm tone immediately put Gavin Modray and Jobst Knauth at ease. His genuine compliments further brightened their moods.

After some small talk, Milo decided to tour his vineyard.

Led by Jobst Knauth, the group arrived at a small hill.

According to Knauth, this vantage point offered the best view of the expansive vineyard.

Even on the hill, grapevines were planted, and from this spot, one could see rows of neatly arranged vines stretching into the distance. Each row was about a meter apart, a spacing optimized for sunlight and land usage.

Although it was November, and the grapevines had begun to wither, the deep green of the remaining foliage provided a calming visual experience.

Knauth began explaining the vineyard’s history to Milo:

“Our estate covers 1.805 hectares. Since 1580, not a single centimeter has been added or lost.

Although the severe hailstorm in the spring of 1945 destroyed most of our vines, we replenished them with mature vines from the La Tâche estate in Côte de Nuits. Interestingly, the vines at La Tâche were originally sourced from us following the phylloxera crisis.

So, our vineyard still boasts pure Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines, with an average age nearing 50 years. Their quality remains remarkably stable.”

Pointing to the workers in the distance, Knauth continued introducing the details of the estate...

"Currently, our estate has no mechanized equipment. All grape cultivation and care are done manually. We don't use chemical fertilizers and try to minimize the use of other chemicals. After the grapes ripen, only skilled workers are allowed to harvest them. Once harvested, the grapes undergo a strict selection process to pick out the best ones for winemaking."

Milo smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

In an era of rapidly advancing winemaking technology, with more scientific techniques widely applied to winemaking, Romanée-Conti has chosen to stay disconnected from the modern era.

However, it is precisely because the cultivation, management, harvesting, and winemaking methods at the Romanée-Conti vineyard have not significantly changed since winemaking began there in the 11th century that their wines maintain such unparalleled quality and are so highly sought after.

Well, that’s the official narrative.

In reality, these measures are part of the "story" Romanée-Conti wants to tell.

Look, the Romanée-Conti wine you're drinking is exactly the same as what princes and monarchs drank hundreds of years ago—it hasn’t changed one bit!

This is Romanée-Conti’s main marketing strategy.

If they adopted modern scientific winemaking techniques, perhaps the quality could improve slightly.

But the story they aim to tell might lose some of its luster.

So, as long as the quality remains acceptable, they keep the story intact, which is the most crucial part of their marketing core.

This is why Romanée-Conti and Château Lafite Rothschild can sell their wines at such high prices.

After examining the nearly 50-year-old vines and checking the growth of the grapevines, Milo returned to the winemaking area.

In the winemaking section of the estate, Gavin Modray was responsible for providing explanations.

Maintaining a stable and controlled temperature is crucial for the perfect fermentation of wine.

Thus, most vineyards have their wine cellars underground, and Romanée-Conti is no exception.

When Gavin Modray opened the door, a rich aroma of wine wafted out. Upon entering, Milo found the entire cellar filled with a fragrance so intoxicating it seemed to enchant the senses.

"Boss, all our wines are fermented in fine oak barrels using wild yeast from the local area. Unlike some wineries that use commercial yeast and stainless steel fermentation tanks with controlled temperatures."

"While this approach makes the process more complicated and significantly increases costs, it is the only way to ensure the quality of our wines."

"This is because we grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, which benefit greatly from oak barrels. The barrels enhance the tight integration of flavors in the wine, which is especially important for complex, age-worthy wines like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir."

"Furthermore, oak barrels add notes of vanilla, cloves, leaves, nuts, toast, and caramel to the wine. They are also essential for secondary fermentation, which is something stainless steel tanks cannot replicate."

Gavin Modray gestured toward the wooden racks filled with oak barrels as he explained to Milo.

Milo walked over, touched one of the oak barrels, and noticed a date marked on the bottom: September 21, 1996.

Looking around at the rows of barrels, Milo asked softly, "Old Modray, are all these barrels filled with wine made last year?"

Gavin Modray shook his head and pointed to two rows of barrels in front of them. "No, only these two rows contain wine from last year. Our vineyard’s annual production is around 2,500 liters, far less than the 70,000 to 80,000 liters produced by large wineries."

He then pointed to some barrels further away. "Those two rows are from the harvest on September 28, 1995."

"The two furthest rows contain wine from the harvest on September 25, 1994."

"We don’t have any barrels older than those because oak barrels have a maximum lifespan of three years. The wine from the 1994 harvest will be bottled this March."

Milo nodded slightly and said to Gavin Modray, "Where are the wines that have already been bottled and stored? Take me to see them."

"Of course, this way, please!"

Gavin Modray led Milo through a series of winding paths to a large wooden door. He opened it and switched on the lights in the storage room.

The scene that appeared was breathtaking.

The room was a straight, arched corridor that seemed to end in a turn, resembling a brick kiln. On both sides of the corridor, tilted wooden racks supported rows of wine bottles. The dense arrangement, resembling a honeycomb, created a powerful visual impact.

"Old Modray, how many bottles of wine are currently stored here? Is there an inventory list for the various vintages?"

Milo picked up a bottle nearby and saw it was labeled 1964—33 years old. Placing it back, he realized it would be impossible to inspect everything in a short time, so he directly asked Gavin Modray.

"Yes, every entry and exit is recorded. There’s a dedicated ledger in a separate room. Follow me, please."

Gavin Modray led Milo to an office and pulled out a large leather-bound book.

Placing it on the table and opening it, he began explaining, "Boss, this ledger records the remaining bottles of wine from each vintage. The oldest wine currently stored here is from 1754, and there are only eleven bottles left."

Milo raised an eyebrow in surprise and glanced at the top row of the table.

There were indeed wines from 1754, making them 247 years old—older than the 1787 Château Lafite the president of the Paris Bank once brought out!

But with only eleven bottles remaining, their rarity was undeniable.

Milo continued down the list.

The wine from 1755: five bottles remain.

The wine from 1756: three bottles remain.

There was a gap from 1757 to 1761.

The next listed vintage, 1762, had thirteen bottles remaining.

There were many such gaps, as Gavin Modray explained, due to unfavorable climate conditions in certain years. Grapes harvested in those years did not produce wines with sufficient tannins for long-term aging.

As a result, many wines were cleared out after decades or even a century because aging them further only worsened the flavor.

By the year 1800, a total of 129 bottles of pre-1800 wines remained.

Between 1801 and 1900, the number rose to 525 bottles.

It was undoubtedly a treasure trove!

These aged wines were a major factor in the astronomical value of Romanée-Conti.

As Milo looked at wines from the 20th century, he noticed a sharp increase in quantities closer to the present day.

However, there were exceptions. For example, from the year 1945, 420 bottles remained.

But from 1946 to 1951, not a single bottle was stored.

Seeing Milo’s focus on this gap, Gavin Modray quickly explained, "Boss, climate variations affect grape yield each year. In abundant years, we can produce over 9,000 bottles of wine, so the proportion of new wine set aside for long-term storage varies by decade."

"But in 1945, due to a hailstorm that killed most of the vines, only 600 bottles were produced. Because of the small quantity, a higher percentage was allocated for long-term storage."

"From 1946 to 1951, during those six years, the vineyard was focused on cultivating newly transplanted vines. Since the quality was unstable, not a single bottle of wine was produced during that period."

Milo nodded slightly and said softly, "In 1945, only 600 bottles were produced, and 420 of them remain. I find that surprising."

Although Milo had known in his previous life that the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti vineyard only produced 600 bottles of wine in 1945, he had no idea how many had been preserved before he acquired it. He hadn’t expected there to be as many as 420 bottles!

The wine from that year was not only of exceptional quality but also extremely rare.

On top of that, the vineyard's six-year production hiatus further heightened its rarity and legendary status.

Even though the 1945 Romanée-Conti wine wasn't the absolute best in terms of quality, its other factors made it a prized collector's item and a prime candidate for speculative investment. Milo recalled that in 2018, a bottle of the 1945 Romanée-Conti sold for 3.86 million yuan at auction.

Considering how well this batch of 420 bottles could be marketed in the future, it could easily be worth two to three hundred million dollars.

As Milo continued reviewing the records, he noted that the list ended in 1991, with 6,589 bottles produced that year. The harvest and winemaking were recorded as taking place on October 22nd.

Milo remembered that the 1991 vintage of Romanée-Conti was of exceptionally high quality and highly regarded worldwide.

Milo turned to Gavin Mordray and asked, "Mr. Mordray, was the best wine of the 1970s the 1978 vintage?"

Gavin Mordray nodded and said, "Yes, sir. The weather in the 1970s was generally poor, but 1978 was the best year of that decade. The cold weather in spring and early summer delayed the grapevines' flowering until August, when the weather improved. Fortunately, the entire autumn season was relatively favorable, allowing the grapes to fully ripen. However, the harvest was delayed significantly, from October 16th to October 22nd."

"Although it takes over a decade of fermentation for the wine to develop its full flavor and stability, in my experience, the 1978 vintage was indeed excellent. While it may not be the best in the vineyard's history, it ranks among the finest."

"Understood!" Milo smiled, nodding slightly. He closed the registry and said to Gavin Mordray, "Take me to see the wines that have been stored for over a century, as well as the 1945 batch."

"Of course!"

With that, Gavin Mordray led Milo out of the registry room.

Later, during lunch, Milo even opened the oldest bottle they had—a 1754 vintage wine.

Everyone present was given a taste, much to André’s amazement.

He had never had the chance to drink a wine aged over two centuries. He couldn't help but think to himself that accompanying the boss this time had truly been worthwhile.

Everyone savored the wine cautiously, as old wines are highly sensitive to excessive swirling, which can greatly affect the flavor.

Particularly for Gavin Mordray, the winemaker, who approached the wine with a reverent mindset, treating it almost like a sacred relic. His devotion moved Milo deeply.

Perhaps this was the essence of a top-tier winemaking family's legacy—a steadfast belief in their craft.

That said, only wines of the highest quality are capable of being preserved for 228 years. Lesser wines would not have survived to the present day.

While it’s hard to say whether the wine's flavor had passed its peak after so many years, it tasted remarkably smooth, with a full body and a long, layered finish. Milo thought it was even better than the taste of the 1787 Château Lafite.

That being said, if he had to drink, he still preferred whiskey.

In fact, many of America's old-money elite, particularly members of the WASP upper class, also preferred the robust flavor of whiskey.

Especially in the southern United States and areas where the so-called "rednecks" were more prevalent, red wine and champagne were often dismissed as drinks for women.

Perhaps for this very reason, the sales of red wine in the United States were relatively modest.

Compared to red wine, the average American's favorite drink was beer, while whiskey was more beloved among old-money families.

Red wine and champagne tended to appeal to nouveau riche and Hollywood celebrities.

After lunch, Milo gave Gavin Mordray specific instructions:

All wines produced before 1900 were to be strictly sealed, and no one was to remove a bottle without Milo’s direct authorization.

Additionally, the 1945 vintage would no longer be available for sale.

He would assign someone to oversee the operations in detail.

Before leaving, Milo handed over a list of wines he intended to take with him, instructing Gavin Mordray to prepare them for transport.

The list included a total of 1,000 bottles of wine, to be divided into four shipments destined for London, Paris, San Francisco, New York, and Tokyo.

Since aged wine is highly sensitive to shaking, Milo planned to transport them entirely by air. Even the short distance from Burgundy to Paris would be handled via civilian helicopters.

For this batch of wine, the shipping cost was trivial.

A few days later, André reported back with results:

The Château Latour estate had been fully acquired for 320 million pounds.

Milo had a different attitude toward Château Latour.

Compared to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s average annual production of 6,000 bottles, Château Latour’s output reached as high as 200,000 bottles annually, making it more suited for a slightly less exclusive, high-end market than Romanée-Conti.

In the luxury car market analogy, Château Lafite and Romanée-Conti were akin to Rolls-Royce and Bentley, while Château Latour was comparable to Porsche.

As for the “Armand de Brignac” champagne he planned to market, it was the entry-level equivalent of a premium BBA car.

Thus, Château Latour would become the mainstay for selling high-end red wines.

Given Romanée-Conti’s limited production, Milo instructed André to transfer Château Latour’s shares entirely to LVMH.

As the leading player in the luxury goods industry, the LVMH Group not only needed to dominate the mid-range market but also required high-quality wine to enhance its brand value.

Château Latour, ranking second among Bordeaux's Left Bank’s top five estates, was more than qualified for this role.

(End of Chapter)