Fabrice Bandiera Takes the Helm of Edmond de Rothschild’s Bordeaux Estates
Fabrice Bandiera expands his role at Edmond de Rothschild Heritage, leading Château Clarke and Château des Laurets through a new era of Bordeaux wine innovation.
Edmond de Rothschild Heritage is reshaping the leadership of its Bordeaux wine division. Fabrice Bandiera, already in charge of Château des Laurets, will now also oversee Château Clarke, bringing the group’s two Bordeaux properties under one technical direction.
The appointment follows the departure of Fabrice Darmaillacq, who has joined Château Lagrange in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle as deputy director after more than nine years as technical director of Château Clarke. With this transition, Bandiera becomes technical director of the Bordeaux wine cluster for Edmond de Rothschild wines, responsible for both vineyard work and winemaking across Château Clarke and Château des Laurets.
The move is designed to create stronger links between the two estates. While each property has its own identity, terroir, and commercial positioning, the group now wants to build greater coherence in how they evolve. That means sharing expertise, refining practices, and preparing both vineyards for a changing wine landscape.
Bandiera’s career gives him a particularly close connection to this mission. Originally from Entre-deux-Mers and from a winegrowing family based in Castelviel, he began his professional life in family-run estates before gaining experience with the Cazes vineyards and AXA Millésimes. In 1996, he joined Château des Laurets as a skilled vineyard worker. From there, he rose steadily through the ranks, becoming technical director in 2002 and general manager in 2018.
This long progression from the vineyard to senior management has shaped the way he is viewed within Edmond de Rothschild Heritage. The group highlights his knowledge of terroir, his openness, and his ability to bring a renewed perspective to innovation. His appointment is therefore not only a change in title, but a sign of the direction the group wants to take in Bordeaux.
That direction is increasingly defined by adaptation. The two estates will need to respond to shifting consumer preferences while also confronting fast-moving environmental pressures. The work ahead will include changes in viticultural methods, reflection on plant material, and closer attention to climate-related challenges such as water management and rising temperatures.
For Arthur Lassale, deputy managing director of Edmond de Rothschild Heritage, the appointment forms part of a wider ambition: to lead a transformative project capable of aligning the wines with contemporary expectations while also responding to rapid changes in the vineyards themselves.
The Bordeaux properties sit within a broader international portfolio of eleven wine estates and brands. Alongside Château Clarke and Château des Laurets, Edmond de Rothschild Heritage is associated with Château Malmaison, Château de Malengin, Champagne Barons de Rothschild, and Amista in France, as well as Flechas de los Andes, Macán, Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, Rimapere, and Akarua abroad.
By placing Château Clarke and Château des Laurets under Bandiera’s technical leadership, the group is seeking more than administrative efficiency. It is preparing its Bordeaux estates for a future in which tradition, consumer demand, innovation, and climate resilience will have to move together.