Showing posts with label Purchase. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Purchase. Show all posts

Friday, January 13, 2017

SAZERAC ACQUIRES A DOMAINE IN GRANDE CHAMPAGNE

Sazerac Logo
Sazarac Logo

On 22nd December 2016, in Jarnac (Charente) in front of Notary Marcadié, the family owned Sazerac Company (www.sazerac.com) purchased Earl Domaine du Breuil de Segonzac.
The Sazerac Company (US distributor of Meukow) announced the purchase of Domaine Breuil de Segonzac Cognac from Patrick and Maria Brillet, which is located near the town of Segonzac, in the center of the Cognac region, precisely in the Grande Champagne appellation.
Domaine Du Treuil de Segonzac, Chateau
Domaine Du Treuil de Segonzac, Chateau

E.A.R.L. DOMAINE DU BREUIL DE SEGONZAC
Lieu DIT CHEZ COLLET
BP 70032
16130 SEGONZAC

The acquisition includes the cognac distillery, vineyards, existing buildings including a manor-style mansion dating from 1870, an 18th-century restored farmhouse, visitor center and existing stocks. The property is about 220 acres and includes its own grape-pressing operation and distillery with four pot stills, two of which are antique.

Domaine Du Treuil de Segonzac, Distillery
Domaine Du Treuil de Segonzac, Distillery

Back in the early 1990s, Patrick and Maria Brillet started turning their production
into certified bio/organic. This decision was rather disruptive in the region as their were among the first.
They originally started converting their wine production in certified bio/organic, and later completed this convertion entirely in about 2006.

About 140 acres (57 hectares) are planted in ugni blanc for the production of cognac.
The Estate produces about 200.000 bottles per year altogether of cognac, pineau des Charentes, wines, and grape juice.

Domaine Du Treuil de Segonzac, Distillery
Domaine Du Treuil de Segonzac, Distillery

Mark Brown, Sazerac Company president and chief executive, makes its first purchase in France, and not the least because it makes a connection to the roots of Sazerac, whose ancestors came from France to Louisiana a long time ago and who originated the famous cocktail Sazerac which favors the use of cognac.

Mark Brown is a family descendant who has a very dynamic managerial style. He is an avid reader of the news and makes a digest of the wine & spirits news pretty much everyday and share it with his associates. Sort of his own blog.

Patrick and Maria Brillet will retire and the managerial position will go to Clive Carpenter. Clive has worked about 25 years in executive sales for Hennessy (mostly in Asia), then about 10 years for Camus also mostly in Asia, then semi-retired, and for the past 2 years for Cognac Prunier.

The existing team of Domaine Breuil de Segonzac will remain in place, the contracts in place for vineyard services are being honored, and the visitor center will remain open.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but one would have to believe the price to be in the 6 million euro range, which is a bargain for Sazerac in comparison to the other recent acquisitions which were above 100 million euros.

Domaine du Breuil de Segonzac was using the brand of cognac named "Cognac Ouches du Breuil", which is very difficult to pronunciate in many other languages, hard to remember and rather not famous. The name "Breuil" in cognac and the Cognac region is very common and this brand is already used by many in Cognac and by other spirits, i.e., Calvados Chateau du Breuil for instance.

Therefore, what will Sazerac use? That is interesting. Could they use 'Sazerac'? Perhaps!
I propose: Cognac Sazerac de Segonzac!

===> Becareful Internet site of Domaine Breuil Segonzac has a malware-virus right. User beware!
malware

Friday, May 13, 2016

COGNAC MARNIER-LAPOSTOLLE PURCHASED BY CAMPARI

I am a little sad to see Marnier-Lapostolle go to Campari Group ($761M). It reminds me when Volkswagen bought Bentley in the 1990s. The name Marnier-Lapostolle is deep rooted in the Cognac region, and it is far away from Milano.

Not easy to keep a family business going for more than 150 years inside a family.

Some key figures:
1827: Establishment of the Marnier-Lapostolle distillery in Neauphle-le-château, Yvelines, Paris region.
1880: Creation of Grand-Marnier liquor.
1919: Purchase of Vineyard with Chateau de Sancerre.
1921: Purchase of castle in village of Bourg-Charente, Cognac region.
Marnier Lapostolle Castle in Bourg-Charente, Cognac
Marnier Lapostolle Castle in Bourg-Charente, Cognac

1994: Starts wine business in Chile.
2013: 100% of Grand Marnier moved in Bourg-Charente.

Marnier-Lapostolle was in recent years the 5th largest buyers of cognac from the region since 60% of the Grand Marnier recipe composed of cognac, with about 12 million bottles sold per year.

Grand Marnier is exported in about 150 countries and the USA accounts for 60%, while Europe = 30%, Asia 10%, and France 8%.

Lapostolle Wines in Chile is composed of 370 hectares, with 3 vineyards and an annual production of 200,000 cases.

Once a year the Marnier-Lapostolle Castle in Bourg-Charente was opened to the public and mostly full of locals which really enjoyed visiting it. I wonder if this tradition will be kept!
History is made!