Mähler-Besse

The house

Frédérik Mähler came to France from the Netherlands at 20, and in 1892 he opened a business in Bordeaux trading in wine and spirits. In 1905 he married Marguerite Besse. By royal decree of August 1907 he became consul of the Netherlands in Bordeaux, for a district of 10 departments from the Gironde to the Gers. The house sold its own Cognac in Suriname by 1909, under the brand Peacock. Frédérik and Marguerite’s son, Henry Mähler-Besse, joined the house in 1928 and ran it from 1945. When his father stepped down as consul in March 1950, Henry, until then vice-consul, took his place. His son Franck carried the house on from 1970.

The family put its money into land. In 1938 it became a co-owner of Château Palmer, the third growth of Margaux, and bought Château Cheval Noir in Saint-Émilion. M. Mähler-Besse, consul of the Netherlands, was still a co-owner of Palmer in 1964, with the Sichels and the Miailhes. Between 1989 and 1997 the house added 3 more estates: Alfa La Bernarde in Blaye, La Couronne in Saint-Émilion and Picard in Saint-Estèphe, which it has owned since 1997.

In 2014 the Castéja family came into the company, and Philippe Castéja, who presides over the BCAP group, is now its chairman and majority shareholder. Nicolai Hedegaard is managing director. Ferdinand Mähler and Florentine Mähler-Besse are among the directors: the Mählers have stayed on the board. The share in Palmer belongs to the family, not to the company.

At a glance

Kind

Négociant

Based in

Bordeaux

Founded

1892, by Frédérik Mähler

Owner

Philippe Castéja, majority shareholder; the Castéja family since 2014

Direction

Philippe Castéja, chairman; Nicolai Hedegaard, managing director

Châteaux

Cheval Noir, since 1938; Picard, since 1997; Alfa La Bernarde and La Couronne, bought between 1989 and 1997

Brands

Cheval Noir

In the record

Palmer, the family a co-owner since 1938, recorded in 1964