In a significant ruling delivered on March 27, the Bordeaux criminal court acquitted wine entrepreneur Patrick Meynard of accusations related to misuse of corporate assets. The case revolved around allegations concerning €1.3 million in financial transfers between Meynard’s profitable business and his financially troubled vineyards.
The court’s fourth criminal chamber concluded that Meynard’s financial advances from his profitable business (SARL L. Meynard et Fils, a successful producer of decorative netting for wine bottles) to his two wine estates—Château Lalaudey and Château Pomeys—did not harm any third party. Given that Meynard himself is the sole shareholder and beneficiary of all entities involved, the judges determined no misuse or wrongdoing occurred.
The investigation began nine years ago after an anonymous tip-off in 2016 accused Meynard of “risky management.” The informant claimed that the profitable netting company was dangerously weakened by repeated financial support to the struggling vineyards, suggesting irregularities and financial manipulation through fictitious wine orders between Meynard’s companies.
Following extensive investigations, prosecutors initially raised six charges surrounding the €1.3 million cash advances made from Meynard’s holding company and the SARL, both financially stable, to his SCEA vineyards, which had chronically underperformed. Although authorities verified that the financial transactions and the transfers were well-documented, the court noted that the vineyards genuinely reserved wine bottles for the netting company, with these inventories officially confirmed by tax and customs inspectors.
Importantly, the court found no proof of financial damage or unjust enrichment arising from these intercompany transactions. Consequently, Patrick Meynard and his vineyard company, initially charged with receiving illicit funds, were acquitted on all counts. This ruling finally ends nearly a decade of uncertainty for Meynard, reinforcing the legitimacy of financial arrangements within privately owned, closely related business entities.