Château d’Esclans (Courtesy Moët Hennessy)
The leading Provence Rosé in the American market, Château d'Esclans, joins Moët Hennessy’s portfolio of wines and spirits.
As the majority shareholder Moët Hennessy will work alongside Sacha Lichine, President of Château d’Esclans. Lichine will continue to oversee the estate and manage its future development, sealing a long-term alliance with Moët Hennessy.
Sacha Lichine’s partner since 2008, Alix AM PTE Limited cedes the entirety of its 50 percent ownership to Moët Hennessy while Sacha Lichine cedes 5 percent of his shares.
The Château d’Esclans lies in the center of the Department of the Var, in the Esclans Valley perched on the heights of La Motte. Inspired by Tuscan Villa design, the current château was built during the mid-19th century. The original château dates back to before the 12th century.
Today, the estate stretches across 267 hectares of which 74 hectares are planted with AOP Côtes de Provence vines. The vineyard will be extended soon to include an additional 60 hectares of vines of the same quality.
Lichine acquired Château d’Esclans in 2006. He went on to disrupt the wine world in producing very high-end rosé wines. His expert viticultural team contributed to the crafting of top quality Côtes-de-Provence rosés which Lichine succeeded in establishing as a luxury product around the world.
The primary grapes grown on the property, Grenache and Vermentino, are spread across several complementary soils and this has resulted in wines unrivaled in complexity and finesse. These rosé wine parcels are vinified in the same manner as the finest wines and raised in demi-muids of oak (barrels of 500 liters).
The Château d’Esclans rosé wines and vinification division are recognized as international references has emerged as a market leader in the US. Through Garrus, renowned prestige rosé wine, and Whispering Angel, the top-selling French rosé in the United States, Lichine created a key collection for connoisseurs of Provence Rosés and recognized with many awards.
Lichine expressed his delight saying, “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. Indeed, we will continue to please and delight our clients across the globe with our excellent Rosé de Provence wines. 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.”
Comments