Prince Robert of Luxembourg, who is the CEO and chairman of Domaine Clarence Dillon, celebrates 20 years in the Chinese market and a deeper partnership with ASC Fine Wines. Rebecca Lo reports.
HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg returned to China in late March 2026, after an absence of more than a decade, to toast two decades since the Clarendelle family of wines was launched in the country.
The CEO and chairman of Domaine Clarence Dillon, which encompasses storied Bordeaux estates Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion, and Château Quintus along with Clarendelle, was in Shanghai and Guangzhou.
During his visit, he shared stories with Chinese consumers, media, KOLs and connoisseurs at master classes, events at Roseweood Hotel Guangzhou, and a VIP gala dinner at Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund.
Digging deep
Prince Robert further renewed and deepened his partnership with ASC Fine Wines, a leading importer and distributor of wine and spirits in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The enhanced agreement makes ASC the exclusive partner and distributor of Clarendelle wines in China and strengthened its collaboration across the Domaine Clarence Dillon portfolio.
Prince Robert is the fourth generation of the Dillon family which began with his great- grandfather’s purchase of Château Haut-Brion in 1935. In 2005, Clarendelle was created by Prince Robert to make the refined taste of his family’s winemaking philosophy accessible to a wider, more diverse audience.
Looking back
Designed for a younger generation of wine enthusiasts seeking authenticity and elegance in daily life, ASC introduced Clarendelle to China in 2006 as a contemporary and approachable expression of Bordeaux. It has since become the entry point to Domaine Clarence Dillon.
China has been a strategic market as well as an important cultural touch point for the Dillon family. Prince Robert’s grandfather, the late Douglas Dillon, established the Douglas Dillon Galleries for Chinese painting and calligraphy at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 1981. More recently, Château Haut-Brion was the wine served at official dinners to honour top Chinese delegates at Château de Versailles and Buckingham Palace.
Evolving vision
“I am delighted to be back in China,” said Prince Robert. “My family’s story with ASC began with a handshake and a shared vision. Today, that vision evolves as we celebrate 20 years of Clarendelle here and embark on this next chapter together.
“Whether it is our family’s historic estates or the Clarendelle family of wines, we are dedicated to sharing the elegance, authenticity and Art de Vivre of Bordeaux with China.”
“This visit is about celebrating a family friendship that spans decades and a shared passion for wine,” said Don St. Pierre, executive chairman and CEO of ASC. “Prince Robert’s presence reaffirms a deep belief in the Chinese market. Together, we are bringing exceptional wines to Chinese consumers,and more importantly, telling the stories and traditions behind them.”
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