The Cazes family originally came from the mountainous Ariege region and settled in the Medoc in 1875. On the eve of World War II, Jean-Charles who was the first winemaker of the family, acquired Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac and Château Ormes de Pez in Saint-Estephe. In the 1960s, André Cazes played a determining role in the history of the Lynch-Bages vineyard, which he restored and extended. In the mid-1970’s, his son Jean-Michel, became a recognised ambassador of the wines of Bordeaux, and a wine tourism pioneer. He then created a wine merchant company, JM. CAZES SÉLECTION, and launched his own wine brand, Michel Lynch. Besides Bordeaux, the Cazes family is developing new vineyards in the south of France and Portugal: in 2002, in the Languedoc, with the acquisition of Domaine de L’Ostal; while during the same year, they teamed up with a winemaker friend, Jorge Roquette, to create Roquette & Cazes, a fine wine from Portugal’s Douro Valley. Domaine des Sénéchaux, an emblematic vineyard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, was acquired a few years later. In 2017, the purchase of Château Haut-Batailley, a fifth Cru Classé, strengthened the family ties in Pauillac. While the taste of wine was at the heart of his enthusiasm, Jean-Michel Cazes created the Relais & Châteaux Cordeillan- Bages in 1989. In 2003, he began renovating the village of Bages. Today, visitors can enjoy the Café Lavinal terrace, winetasting courses, the Bages Bazaar boutique and customised winemaking experiences with VINIV. Jean-Charles Cazes, at the head of the fourth generation, is perpetuating the family philosophy of wine and the art of living.