FRANCE – Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of French conglomerate LVMH, has acquired a 55% majority stake in Château d’Esclans, the leading Provence Rosé in the American market.

Moët will acquire 50% ownership from Alix AM PTE Limited, an investment group which has been a partner with Château d’Esclans since 2008 and an additional 5% shareholding from Sacha Lichine, President of Château d’Esclans.

Moët Hennessy, as the majority shareholder, will work alongside Lichine, who will continue to oversee the estate and manage its future development, sealing a long-term alliance with Moët Hennessy.

Château d’Esclans lies in the center of the Department of the Var, on an extraordinary site in the Esclans Valley perched on the heights of La Mott in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of southeastern France.

Today the estate stretches across 267 hectares of which 74 hectares are planted with AOP Côtes de Provence vines of an exceptional quality. The company has unveiled plans of extending the vineyard include an additional 60 hectares of vines of the same quality.

Sacha Lichine acquired Château d’Esclans in 2006 and disrupted the wine world in producing very high-end rosé wines such as Garrus, a globally renowned prestige rosé wine, and Whispering Angel, the top-selling French rosé in the United States.

Château d’Esclans will now join Moët Hennessy’s portfolio of wines and spirits that includes Moët & Chandon, Hennessy, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon, Ruinart, Krug, Mercier, Belvedere and Glenmorangie among others.

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.”