TWO MINUTES WITH | Axel Heinz, Château Lascombes

16 October 2025

What is your ‘last supper’ wine?
It would have to be a bottle of Château d’Yquem. I’m not sure which vintage, because sadly, I’m afraid I haven’t tasted enough to be able to select one with certainty. But I have a particular love for Sauternes. It’s one of those wines, like Sherry, that is part of wine’s culture, but that is, unfortunately, struggling and will slowly but surely die out if nobody takes care of it.

Where is your dream vineyard?
Quite honestly? California. While I was at Ornellaia we worked on a project with Dalla Valle, so I visited quite a few times. There’s some indefinable magic to California. Even with all its contradictions, it’s a place that gives you the sensation that you can do anything you want, without limitations. Also, maybe because most of my career has gravitated to reds, I’ve become attracted to the idea of making a white. So I would most probably head to Carneros – it’s a bit cooler and I think I could make a pretty good white there.

What’s your favourite wine memory? 
My mind comes to an evening in Singapore after a Masseto masterclass that I gave. There was a bunch of collectors at the tasting and they invited me to their after-party where they planned to pull out a lot of great bottles of wine. Initially, I thought, ‘Hmm… it’s probably going to be another late evening’. But they kept teasing me with photos of what they were planning to open, so I thought, ‘OK, maybe I’ll go’. I’m pleased I did.

There were loads of amazing wines, but among them was a 1995 La Tache. When you’re a winemaker, you approach those wines a little bit more neutrally. Sometimes they live up to their expectations; sometimes they don’t. And on rare occasions, they perform beyond your expectations. So when it’s a legendary wine like La Tache, and it’s even greater than you had imagined it would be… well, wow… I can’t remember the full tasting notes of the wine, I just remember thinking, ‘Gosh, I didn’t know that Pinot Noir was capable of doing such things.’

What’s the next big thing in wine?  
That’s a tough question. I know we’re not meant to speak about our own interests, but I would like to think that the next big thing would be Bordeaux again. Everybody is saying that people are turning away from Bordeaux, but in my experiences, when you reach out, people love Bordeaux. More, perhaps, than they’re willing to admit. Or more, even, than they know. But you have to create the right moments for it. Bordeaux has been having a tough time because it’s been presented as something beyond wine, as a status symbol almost. And sure, maybe it’s not a wine like any other, but it is a wine to enjoy and to be consumed like any other. I think people need to get closer to this idea again – that it’s not an investment, not something to lay down in your cellar. Just drink it, have fun with it – because there’s lots of fun to be had with a bottle of great Bordeaux.

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