Tom Powell
HE is one of the richest, most controversial men in the world and – it seems – somewhat the wine buff.
Russian president Vladimir Putin is planting his very own vineyard at the multimillion euro home he is developing in the hills above Marbella, it can be revealed.
Olive Press sources insist that the Russian gourmet, 62, has dug 25 plants from Spain’s top bodega Pingus into a series of terraces around the mansion, in Benahavis.
In a huge mega-deal he has also contracted the vineyard’s owner Danish oenologist Peter Sisseck to oversee production of the wine.
The wine will be produced in two huge underground cellars at the 10-bedroom palace in the exclusive enclave of Zagaleta – complete with private helipad and 22-car garage.
A series of French oak barrels will store the wine.
The climatised cellars cost an estimated €1 million to install and also include a separate champagne room with its very own fingerprint code entry system.
“It is an amazing project and no expense is being spared,” said the source.
A spokesman for the small five hectare Pingus holding in Burgos – whose wines are Spain’s most expensive at €1,000 a bottle – was unable to confirm the purchase.
“I am not able to give out any information about grapevines being sold, only about the bottles we sell and distribute,” she said.
In October 2012, the Olive Press was able to link the Ex-KGB boss Putin to a consortium of six wealthy businessmen behind the €19 million Zagaleta project.
The epitome of extravagance, his 18,000m² plot boasts its own spa and gym, a cinema, piano bar, and two swimming pools.
Putin has long been a big Hispanophile having visited Spain on many occasions, with a recent book claiming he came in ‘illegally’ 37 times on false documents in the 1990s alone.
He has also been linked to a Spanish construction company.
It is also clear that Putin appreciates his wine, as his South of France mansion was revealed to have expansive wine cellars too, back in 2001.
Are you sure about this HaHa. Sounds totally improbable to me, not his scene.
I know nothing about vineyards but I must say that 25 plants does not seem enough for all the other expense that is quoted. I mean with only 25 plants needed we could all be vineyard owners.
1.8 hectare plot ? Not big enough for a world leader.
The target house seems quite exposed
This ongoing gossip has finally become “news”. Who are these “sources”? Where is the credibility of this story? There are no substantive sources with credible information to back this up, whatsoever.
Apart from Olive Press, only the Daily Mail made this “news”, by picking it up directly from this article. Olive Press should urgently rename itself the Mickey Mouse Press, likewise should the Daily Mail as well.
You say gossip? Russian spokesman called it a joke. My question is why he didn’t announce a lawsuit against Olive Press and Daily Mail…
From the photo it would appear that Putin’s mansion sits in non-urban land and is therefore as ‘illegal’ as 250,000 other houses in Andalucia. But maybe billionaires and politicians are exempt?