A month in wine
Provence has seen a rush of vineyard deals in recent months, not to mention celebrity endorsements, which look set to further raise the profile of the region’s premium rosé wines.
The Prats family, who formerly owned Château Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux, have joined with French businessman Stéphane Courbit to buy Château d’Estoublon in Provence.
It is the latest sign of Provence’s rising status in the wine world, and also of the growing interest in making higher-end rosé styles there.
Built in the 17th century and spanning 300ha, with 18ha under vine, Château d’Estoublon is located in the Baux-de-Provence appellation. Jean-Quentin Prats told Decanter that the family wanted to return to its historical roots and ‘put a foot back in the Mediterranean’, but he also said an initial priority is to launch a new premium rosé wine on international markets.
The wine, named Roseblood d’Estoublon, is a blend of 50% Grenache, 45% Cinsault and 5% Tibouren, said Prats, whose family has taken a minority stake in the estate. It is currently only available at the domaine, and across Courbit’s Airelles hotel portfolio.
Describing the wine as ‘super-high quality’ and organic, Prats said: ‘We have worked very hard to select the best wines and to craft a rosé with a very precise and distinctive style.’
There has been a flurry of high-profile vineyard deals in Provence over the last few months. Among them, Cos d’Estournel’s current owner Michel Reybier has acquired organic estate Château La Mascaronne, which lies in the medieval village of Le-Luc-enProvence and makes rosé, white and red wines.
Further to the east, Château Bas has been sold to Ficbal, a holding company co-owned by Catherine Castéja, member of a significant Bordeaux wine family. It has 75ha of organically farmed vines in the Coteaux d’Aix en Provence appellation, producing rosé from Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Counoise, as well as making red and white wines.
Towards the end of 2019, luxury goods group LVMH bought a majority stake in Château d’Esclans, which produces the already-popular Whispering Angel brand among others.
Previous owner Sacha Lichine retained a 45% stake and was promised the ‘full support’
Château d’Estoublon, Baux-de-Provence
Continued US wine tariffs a ‘big disappointment’
Some top European wines will continue to face a higher rate of import tariffs when they are exported to the US, officials have said, dashing hopes of a reprieve.
The 25% tariff on still wines at 14% alcohol or below from France, Spain, Germany and the UK will be retained, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) reiterated in August.
It reviewed $7.5 billion-worth of tariffs imposed on EU goods on 18 October 2019 in an ongoing dispute over aerospace industry subsidies.
‘It’s a big disappointment,’ said Thiébault Huber, president of the CAVB confederation of Burgundy appellations and winemakers.
There was evidence that availability of some wines has dropped in the US. Imports of French still wines fell by 35% in the eight months to 30 June due to the tariffs, said France’s wine and spirits export body, FEVS – equating to some €415m ($500m) in lost revenue.
US importers and retailers were also upset. ‘The USTR has delivered a blow to American wine businesses and restaurants,’ said Ben Aneff, president of the US Wine Trade Alliance lobby group and managing partner at Tribeca Wine Merchants. ‘We will not stay quiet.’
US and EU officials have said they wish to reach a settlement.
Thiébault Huber