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He's the heir to a luxury fortune and he has married one of the world's most beautiful women, Salma Hayek, it's easy to dismiss François-Henri Pinault as just another blessed rich guy. But Peter Gumbel's profile of Pinault in Fortune magazine shows that François-Henri Pinault is a lot more than just a lucky guy, he's a major player in the luxury arena, helming PPR, the luxury conglomerate that includes Gucci, Bottega Veneta and other brands.

And it isn't all fabulous parties and jetting about. Earlier this year after a meeting in Paris with union representatives from various PPR businesses about store closures, layoffs and other measures he found himself in a taxi that was surrounded by angry employees who kept him trapped for an hour as they yelled. Police had to come rescue him (a video is after the jump).

There's no denying that the luxury market has taken a huge hit in the past year and any potential recovery has been slow so far. Pinault has to prove to the world that he can be a successful CEO and a worthy heir to the empire founded by his father, François Pinault. His $4.7 billion payment for a controlling stake in Puma in 2007 seemed a little outside the luxury purview at the time but the acquisition has helped shield PPR from bigger losses. His proactive budget cutting in spring of 2008 also helped the company stay flush. Pinault seems to be one of the faces of the new luxury, a little more informal, a little more budget conscious and a little more flexible in terms of making big moves--all necessary characteristics in today's fluctuating market.

Fabled Bordeaux brand Château Latour, widely regarded as one of the finest wines from the Medoc region, is being offered for sale by top-drawer investment bank Lazard Freres, the London Times reports. French business tycoon and president of the luxury-goods group PPR, François Pinault, is seeking $200 million - $280 million for it, the paper reports.

Pinault, whose holdings include Christie's (also rumored to be for sale), Gucci and Puma, piad about $150 million for Latour in 1993. Bernard Magrez, owner of the rival Pape Clément winery, is said to be a strong contender, perhaps with backing from his and friend fellow wine aficionado Gérard Depardieu.

The Château Latour estate consists of 190 acres of Bordeaux vineyards, but only grapes from the 115 acres that surround the actual chateau at the heart of the estate are used to make the Grand Vin de Château Latour (right). A case of the 1961 vintage fetched an impressive $170,000 at auction by Christie's in Hong Kong last month.