A top Chinese film star has snapped up Chateau Monlot in the Bordeaux region of St Emilion.

According to Decanter, the unconfirmed price paid by Zhao Wei for the seven hectare property is €4-5 million (£3.4-4.2 million).

She is one the most popular film stars in China, where demand for top Bordeaux and Burgundy wines is growing rapidly. Around a dozen properties in Bordeaux are now owned by Chinese nationals.

Eric Groux, the director of the property agency which brokered the Monlot sale, Conseil Patrimoine, told Decanter that Wei plans to continue to use the estate as a vineyard.

"Although it was not a condition of the sale, she will keep the winemaking team in place," he said. Mr Groux added that a further dozen Chinese clients are currently looking for properties in the region.

The local land agency, the Societe d'amenagement foncier et d'etablissement rural, said prices per hectare in St Emilion now range from €200,000 to €500,000.