Franck Bijon has been elected President of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc. Previously, he acted as Managing Director of the Larose Vineyards
Bijon replaces Olivier Cuvelier, who resigned after a mandated five-year tenure. Bijon will preside over the continued deployment of the 2020 classification which includes 249 châteaux. “I would like to thank Olivier Cuvelier and his entire team for having carried out this difficult task which provided a strong and collective foundation to our large family,” said Bijon.
Effective with the 2018 vintage and remaining until the 2022 vintage, the five-year classification process is carried out by an entirely independent and impartial verification body. Previously released on a yearly basis, in February 2020 Crus Bourgeois revised the classification to be released every five years. The change was made to give consumers confidence in purchasing, while offering producers a longer-term view of their wines’ classifications to better facilitate projects and investments toward quality.
Bijon, 59, has worked within the Allianz wine estates since 1989 and acted as Managing Director since 2016. The estates span Château Larose Trintaudon Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, Château Larose Perganson Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, Château Arnauld Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnel in AOC Haut-Médoc, and Château Tour de Pez Cru Bourgeois in AOC Saint Estèphe. He is known for his ambition and deep knowledge of the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
“Bijon will bring his passion and energy to further the diversity of châteaux and Crus Bourgeois du Médoc as a collective, rooted in quality winemaking and sustainability practices,” says a press release. “Today, the strong initiatives in our ecosystem must lead us to adapt our strategy by listening and showing resilience.”
For more information, visit Les Crus Bourgeois’ official website.
The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc form the largest family of Bordeaux crus from some of the most prestigious appellations of the Left Bank. This association brings together vineyards with widely differing profiles and terroirs that satisfy a drastic set of requirements. The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification guarantees consumers a standard of quality for every bottle that proudly bears the ‘Crus Bourgeois’ label.