In the context of the Olympic Torch Relay of Paris 2024 and its arrival in Marseille, LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Sephora unveil a unique program

As part of the Olympic Torch Relay of Paris 2024, LVMH and Château Cheval Blanc welcomed 150 pupils from Saint Emilion to see the Olympic Flame of Paris 2024 and discover the estate.

This Wednesday, May 23rd, marked an important step in the programme unveiled on May 8th by LVMH – Premium Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 and the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays of Paris 2024 – to celebrate the arrival and passage of the Flame of Paris 2024 in France, in collaboration with several of its Maisons. Château Cheval Blanc welcomed the Olympic Flame of Paris 2024 during the Saint Émilion relay, where teams from the Maison invited 150 pupils from the town to experience this exceptional moment up close to the torch.

In the presence of the mayor of Saint Émilion, 150 pupils from the town’s primary and preschool were able to discover the estate and take part in various workshops organized by teams from the Château.  

For this relay, five employees of Château Cheval Blanc were selected for their commitment related to sport, involvement in associations or in their local communities, to carry the Olympic Flame of Paris 2024 within the estate.  

Following the passage of the Olympic Flame of Paris 2024, a series of activities were proposed to the 150 children, all supervised by Château Cheval Blanc employees: discovery of agroecology, beekeeping and biodiversity, discovery of the agroforestry practices that have been in place on the estate for many years, as well as physical activities including a “mini-relay” and athletics challenges. Raphaël Heureude, ornithologist and partner of the Château’s teams, led an ornithology workshop on the birds present on site. The day ended around 4pm with a tea party with food products produced on the estate: bread, apple juice, jam, etc. 

“Hosting the Olympic Flame of Paris 2024 is a privilege. It gave us the opportunity to unite the Château Cheval Blanc teams around a festive, convivial and unforgettable moment, by allowing five of our employees to be bearers of the Olympic Flame of Paris 2024. As part of our commitment to passing on our heritage, we were delighted to invite 150 pupils from the Saint Émilion school to discover the estate and the importance of preserving their local territory, through various ateliers and activities focusing on the estate’s agroforestry techniques.“ Pierre-Olivier Clouet, General Manager at Château Cheval Blanc. 

A journey to the core of the site’s environmental approach 

Château Cheval Blanc’s overall agroecological approach is based on three fundamental pillars: plant cover, agroforestry, mixed farming and livestock rearing.  

To preserve its soils, Château Cheval Blanc has stopped ploughing in favour of growing wine on living soil, i.e. soil that is always covered with plants, sown at the end of the harvest. This naturally prevents the proliferation of weeds, prevents the soil from drying out, limits the effects of the summer heat and facilitates the absorption of rainwater into the soil. These techniques are inspired by the COP 21’s “4 for 1000” approach to combating greenhouse gases and enhancing the fertility of the vineyard. 

One of the aims of the château’s teams is to reconcile nature and culture by stimulating the natural fertility of the land through agroforestry on the estate itself. Thousands of fruit and forest trees have already been planted on the 40-hectare estate, along with a 4km linear border of hedgerows.  

The last major axis of Château Cheval Blanc’s approach is mixed farming, a method that brings animals back to the heart of the vineyard to help the winegrowers. Ewes graze the plots to stimulate the plants and fertilise the soil, chickens and hens roam the land to get rid of harmful insects, and around fifteen beehives pollinate the gardens, and so on.  

The impact of these initiatives is being monitored by researchers from the National Museum of Natural History and university staff from Bordeaux University involved in the programme.  

Sephora, Official Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays of Paris 2024 

Wednesday, May 23rd also marked the start of pop-up events at Sephora, which welcomed the general public to the Celebration Zone of Paris 2024 in Bordeaux for the first time. In this experiential space, Sephora is inviting the public to celebrate the link between beauty and sport with areas for discovering the Maison, artistic co-creation events and make-up services. These pop-ups can be found in Nice on June 18th, Lille on July 2nd and Paris on July 14th. In their shop on Rue Sainte Catherine, Sephora has also activated its “soufflerie”, a system enabling customers to try and win tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 and other beauty gifts. This “soufflerie” will be available in Sephora shops in 46 cities where the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays of Paris 2024 will be passing through.  

Furthermore, the Olympic Torch Relay of Paris 2024 will also pass by sites linked to the Group:

– May 31st near Christian Dior Museum in Grandville

– June 30th near Moët & Chandon in Epernay