Is there a better way to celebrate your 54th birthday than with a wine-tasting trip? Music stars Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Rihanna arrived with others in Bordeaux earlier this month. Although the tight-lipped château owners refused to comment, the high-profile group shared their stay on social media.
Could it have been a birthday trip? Jay-Z turned 54 on Dec. 4, and Jay Brown, the co-founder and vice-chairman of Roc Nation, recently turned 50.
The entourage enjoyed a stay at the luxury hotel-spa Les Sources de Caudalie at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, 30 minutes south of Bordeaux. Senior Roc Nation's Lenny Santiago's instagram account showed a content Jay-Z sipping red wine at what looks to be Château Cheval Blanc, which is co-owned by LVMH.
LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault and Jay-Z go way back: Jay-Z owns Armand de Brignac Champagne, aka “Ace of Spades,” and LVMH bought a 50 percent stake in the brand in 2021.
The group also stopped in at LVMH's legendary Sauternes estate, Château d'Yquem, posing with bottles of Yquem 1969 and 1973—vintages from Jay-Z’s and Brown’s respective birth years.
Whereas most celebrities land their jets at Bordeaux’s own Merignac airport, it's possible this wine-loving group chose a more relaxing mode of travel. The sumptuous Venice Simplon Orient Express train, owned by LVMH subsidiary Belmond, stunned commuters with a rare stop at the Bordeaux train station during those dates.
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