Médocaine des Grands Crus Company

What Médocaine des Grands Crus Company does

Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus (CMGC) is a Bordeaux wine merchant (négociant) founded in 1975 by Jean-Michel Cazes and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AXA Millésimes since 2001. The company buys, stores, and distributes a curated portfolio of Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés, exclusive second wines and proprietary selections, and a curated range of foreign wines (Opus One, Almaviva, Seña, Cheval des Andes, Quinta Do Noval, Disznókő, Bibi Graetz, Petrolo), plus a sustainability-focused 'Gamme Éco-Responsable'. It reports representing over 100 Grands Crus Classés and supplying over 100 French restaurants annually, with 100% temperature-controlled warehousing.

The company serves professional buyers — restaurants, hotels, gastronomic establishments (HORECA), wine shops (cavistes), and quality-focused wholesalers — across France, Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, UK, Ireland), the Americas, Asia (including China), and the Emirates via a regionally structured sales team. Commercial operations are supported by proprietary B2B platforms pro.medocaine and map.medocaine. Distribution is B2B-only; no direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel is operated.

Monetization is transaction-based: CMGC acts as a négociant purchasing wines from estates and selling to professional buyers (including primeur/en primeur sales invoiced in installments), with pricing set EX WORKS Bordeaux (Incoterm CCI 2000), net of discounts and taxes, and payment due within 10 days of invoice. The company is privately held (SAS), headquartered at 42 Rue de Lafaurie de Monbadon in Bordeaux with an operational site in Blanquefort, and discloses no revenue.

Name

Médocaine des Grands Crus Company

Legal name

COMPAGNIE MEDOCAINE DES GRANDS CRUS

Website

https://medocaine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus is a Bordeaux wine négociant (founded 1975) and AXA Millésimes subsidiary that distributes Grands Crus Classés, foreign wines, and eco-friendly selections to HORECA, wine shops, and wholesalers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Distribution and Trading

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

Keywords

• Bordeaux wine trading
• Wine distribution services
• Négociant operations
• Fine wine wholesale
• HORECA wine supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Blanquefort

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wine Trading (Negociant): Core business of buying and selling Bordeaux wines and international wines as a negociant. Includes primeur sales (en primeur) where wines are sold before bottling based on the vintage, with payment in installments at agreed deadlines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus operates as a Bordeaux wine merchant (négociant), buying and reselling premium Bordeaux wines and a curated selection of international wines through professional distribution channels. Its core business includes primeur (en primeur) sales where wines are sold before bottling based on vintage, alongside a portfolio of Grands Crus Classés, foreign wines, exclusivities, and eco-friendly wines distributed primarily to restaurants, hotels, wine shops, and quality wholesalers across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Product overview

Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus is a Bordeaux wine merchant (négociant) founded in 1975, operating as a subsidiary of AXA Millésimes since 2001. The company offers a portfolio of wine products organized into four main categories: (1) Grands Crus Classés featuring exclusive selections from prestigious Bordeaux estates like Château Lynch Bages, Château Figeac, and Château d'Yquem; (2) Foreign Wines (Crus Étrangers) including international selections from Chile, Argentina, USA, Italy, Portugal, and Hungary; (3) Exclusivities & Selections comprising exclusive partnerships with wineries such as Cap Royal, La Croix Bonis, Les Tourelles de Longueville, Castelnau de Suduiraut, and Le Petit Petit-Village; and (4) Eco-Friendly Wines (Gamme Éco-Responsable) featuring sustainably produced wines with part of profits donated to REFOREST'ACTION. The company also provides professional tools including pro.medocaine and map.medocaine for its operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grands Crus Classés (Bordeaux) Carefully selected exclusive wines from prestigious Bordeaux estates including Château Lynch Bages, Château Cantenac Brown, Château Phélan Ségur, Château Figeac, Château Haut-Bailly, Château d'Yquem, and Château Lafite Rothschild, supplied to professional wine buyers.
• Foreign Wines (Crus Étrangers) International wines sourced from renowned estates worldwide including Disznókő (Hungary), Quinta Do Noval (Portugal), Bibi Graetz (Italy), Opus One (USA), Almaviva (Chile), Cheval des Andes (Argentina), and Seña (Chile), supplied to professional buyers.
• Exclusivities and Selections Exclusive wines and second wines from privileged partnerships, including Cap Royal, La Croix Bonis (from Château Phélan Ségur), Les Tourelles de Longueville (second wine of Château Pichon Baron), Castelnau de Suduiraut (second wine of Château Suduiraut), and Le Petit Petit-Village (second wine of Château Petit-Village).
• Eco-Friendly Wines (Gamme Éco-Responsable) Sustainably produced wines from partner winegrowers committed to environmental responsibility, including Pavillon de Beauregard, Les Parcelles de Durfort-Vivens, Petrolo, Château Grand Corbin-Despagne, and Château Pontet-Canet, with part of profits donated to REFOREST'ACTION for reforestation.
• Primeur Sales (En Primeur) Sale of wines before bottling based on the vintage, with payment in installments at agreed deadlines. A traditional Bordeaux trading mechanism offered to professional wine buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 45 years of operation in Bordeaux wine trade
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AXA MillésimescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001AXA Millésimes is a subsidiary of AXA, a major French insurance group. Founded in the 1980s as a subsidiary of AXA, AXA Millésimes' mission is to invest in wine estates whose terroir potential is not fully realized by providing them with material, human, and financial resources needed to produce outstanding wines. Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus has been an integral part of AXA Millésimes since 2001. This ownership provides financial stability and strategic support, enabling the company to promote the estates it represents and influence the market sustainably.
• REFOREST'ACTIONminorOthersThe company has committed to donate part of its profits from the eco-friendly wine range to REFOREST'ACTION, supporting reforestation initiatives as part of their CSR commitments.
• Château Pontet-CanetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner winegrower in the eco-friendly wines range. Château Pontet-Canet is a prestigious Pauillac estate committed to sustainable and organic viticulture practices.
• Pavillon de BeauregardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner winegrower in the eco-friendly wines range. Pomerol estate committed to sustainable viticulture practices.
• Château Durfort-VivensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner winegrower in the eco-friendly wines range. Margaux estate committed to organic and biodynamic practices.
• Château Grand Corbin-DespagneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner winegrower in the eco-friendly wines range. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru estate committed to sustainable practices.
• PetrolominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner winegrower in the eco-friendly wines range. Tuscan estate (Valdarno di Sopra, Italy) known for natural winemaking.
• Château Lynch-BagescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founding estate of the company. Owned by Jean-Michel Cazes, founder of Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus. Premier Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac.
• Château Pichon BaroncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac, part of AXA Millésimes portfolio. Historical partnership through Les Tourelles de Longueville (2nd wine).
• Château d'YquemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Grand Cru Classé from Sauternes, considered one of the world's greatest sweet wines. Part of the premium portfolio.
• Château Lafite RothschildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac, First Growth Bordeaux. Part of the premium Grands Crus portfolio.
• Château FigeaccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Grand Cru Classé from Saint-Émilion. Part of the premium portfolio offering exceptional terroir-driven wines.
• Opus OnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIconic Napa Valley joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Part of the foreign wines selection.
• AlmavivacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium Chilean wine from Puente Alto, joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Concha y Toro. Part of international wines portfolio.
• SeñacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium Chilean wine from Aconcagua Valley, a collaboration between Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi. Part of international wines selection.
• Cheval des AndescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium Argentine wine from Mendoza, joint venture between Terrazas and Cheval Blanc. Part of international wines range.
• Quinta Do NovalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese wine estate from Douro Valley, renowned for Nacional Vintage Port. Part of foreign wines selection.
• DisznókőminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTokaj estate from Hungary, part of the foreign wines portfolio offering distinctive Central European terroir.
• Bibi GraetzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTuscan winemaker from Italy, known for exceptional Supertuscan wines. Part of international wines selection.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Castel Group: One of the largest French wine groups, combining production, bottling, and broad-based distribution across Bordeaux and other regions. Overlaps with CMGC in Bordeaux wholesale but operates at significantly greater scale across price tiers.
• Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite): Owner of Château Lafite Rothschild and other First Growth estates; controls significant distribution of its own portfolio. Comparable to CMGC as both are Grand Cru distribution vehicles, but DBR is an integrated producer-distributor with much larger scale.
• Advini: Wine group that owns several Bordeaux négociants (including Dourthe) and a wide portfolio of estates. Comparable to CMGC at the wholesale level but with broader multi-region, multi-segment reach and more resources.

Direct peers

• Yvon Mau: Established Bordeaux négociant with international distribution of Bordeaux and South of France wines. Closely comparable in terms of B2B wholesale model, geographic reach, and Grand Cru focus.
• Dourthe (Advini): Major Bordeaux négociant and estate owner, part of the Advini wine group, with a similarly structured sales organization across French and export markets. Direct peer in the premium Bordeaux B2B distribution space.
• CVBG (Borie-Manoux): Historic Bordeaux négociant (Borie-Manoux family) that distributes Grand Crus and proprietary brands globally to restaurants, hotels, and wine merchants. Directly comparable as a family-affiliated négociant operating in the same premium Bordeaux wholesale channel.
• JMB Wines (Joanne): Bordeaux négociant distributing premium estates to global on-trade and off-trade buyers. Operates a similar traditional négociant business serving HORECA, wine merchants, and quality wholesalers.
• Ginestet: Long-standing Bordeaux négociant with a portfolio of estate wines and second wines distributed through French and international trade channels. Directly comparable in business model and customer mix.
• Maison Sichel: Family-owned Bordeaux négociant distributing a broad portfolio of estate wines to international HORECA and retail buyers. Closely comparable to CMGC in terms of B2B négociant model, multi-region sales team, and premium Bordeaux focus.
• Ballande et Cie: Historic Bordeaux négociant focused on Grand Crus and chateau distribution to professional buyers in France and abroad. Comparable as a B2B Grand Cru distributor with similar GTM motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Médocaine des Grands Crus Company