Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of French conglomerate LVMH, has acquired a 55% majority stake in Provence Rosé winery Château d’Esclans for an undisclosed sum.
The agreement will see the LVMH subsidiary take ownership of investment group Alix AM PTE’s 50% stake in Château d’Esclans, while d’Esclans president and founder Sacha Lichine will divest 5% of his shares.
The deal includes a new long-term partnership between Moët Hennessy and Sacha Lichine, who will retain the rest of his shares and will continue to oversee the business.
As part of the agreement, Château d’Esclans will join Moët Hennessy’s portfolio of wines and spirits that includes Moët & Chandon, Hennessy, Belvedere and Glenmorangie.
Sacha Lichine, president of d’Esclans said: “I am thrilled by the alliance with Moët Hennessy and the ability, through the backing of this great group, to continue to develop the Château d’Esclans estate.
“When I purchased Château d’Esclans in 2006, my aim was to produce a rosé wine in the spirit of the finest wines. Hence, together with the Château d’Esclans team, I created a portfolio of wine brands which are today well known in France and internationally and which are poised to continue growing strongly over the next several years.”
CEO of Moët Hennessy Philippe Schaus said: “We are very proud to partner with Château d’Esclans, the famous estate producing high-quality rosé wines in Southern France. Moët Hennessy will bring the full support of our worldwide teams to assist Sacha Lichine in continuing this wonderful journey.”
Located in the Esclans Valley, Château d’Esclans’ estate currently spans 267 hectares, with 74 hectares of Côtes de Provence appellation vines. According to the company, there are plans to extend the vineyard to include an additional 60 hectares of the same quality.
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