Most anniversary celebrations mean very little to anyone beyond those immediately affected by them. It’s been 25 years since I moved into my home: is this a pretext to throw a party? Or perhaps it’s once numbers get uncommonly big they count more. Michel Bettane, France’s most famous wine critic — in SA to judge at the Trophy Wine Show — scored an invitation to May-Eliane de Lencquesaing’s 100th birthday bash (and a ride to Glenelly with Ken Forrester). “That’s a party worth attending,” he observed.

Lady May (or Madame la Generale) was born into a Bordeaux chateaux-owning family. She travelled the world with her husband (Le General) before inheriting Chateau Pichon Lalande in 1978. In just more than a decade she transformed it into one of the region’s finest estates...

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