Château Lassègue, located in Saint-Émilion, announced that seventh-generation Vigneron Nicolas Seillan has been named Winemaker of the Estate. This new role is in addition to his current position as Senior Vice President of Finance, Château Lassègue and Tenuta di Arceno. He will continue to work alongside his father, Vigneron Pierre Seillan who comments, “I am proud that my son Nicolas will continue in the tradition of our family lineage as a 7th generation vigneron, and bring his passion and respect for the great terroirs and wines of France.”
Born into a family of vignerons in France, Nicolas Seillan learned winemaking and viticulture from an early age with his father in Bordeaux. He also completed internships in winemaking and cork manufacturing in California and Bordeaux. “Watching my father managing estates and crafting wines as I was growing up, I learned to observe and respect the land, and also to work with integrity and perseverance,” explains Nicolas. “From a young age, he trained me to produce wines that reflect their origins by listening to instinct and staying close to your roots.”
After finishing undergraduate and graduate degrees in economics and finance, Nicolas joined the Corporate & Investment Banking division of BNP Paribas in San Francisco, where he was focused on large corporate entities. Throughout this period, he spent time working at Vérité in Sonoma on the weekends with his family. In 2003, he took a role in the Finance Department of Jackson Family Wines.
In 2006, Nicolas left California and returned to France when he was appointed General Manager of Château Lassègue, a centuries-old estate on the Côte de Saint-Émilion that was jointly purchased by the Jackson and Seillan families in 2003.
“Nicolas is very talented as a vigneron and winemaker, and he knows every detail of our historic estate,” says Barbara Banke, Chairman and Proprietor of Jackson Family Wines. “He will carry the wines of Lassègue to new heights.”
As General Manager, Nicolas was responsible for the well-being of Château Lassègue, overseeing all operational aspects of winemaking and viticulture, as well as the finance and management of the estate. In his newly expanded role, Nicolas will oversee all aspects of the winemaking process, from the vineyards to the glass.
