Market Watch, Summer 2020

SUMMER 2020 MARKETW ATCHMAG COM MARKET WATCH 71 40 Prestige is a luxury wine that in France which is a more mature market for rosé than the U S is enjoyed by the glass says Matton Were bringing it to the U S now because we think American consumers are finally ready for even higher quality expressions of rosé In an effort to further support his luxury wines Matton transitioned from the Treasury Wines Estates portfolio to that of New York based importer Vintus at the beginning of this year while he has high hopes that the new partnership will eventually bring Minuty greater exposure in the on premise the coronavirus has temporarily forced a pivot to retail which has been done with some success thus far Part of the Louis Roederer portfolio luxury rosé led brand Domaines Ott has likewise shifted a great deal of its business from the on premise to retail accounts as a result of the coronavirus Though widespread on premise closures have hit the brand hard retail sales rose 40 in April according to importer Maisons Marques Domaines USA Domaines Ott markets a number of top tier rosés including its namesake core offering 47 a 750 ml and such estate labeled wines as Château de Selle rosé 54 and Clos Mireille rosé 54 Gérard Bertrand is also betting on the luxury tier with the release of Clos du Temple a passion project years in the making This rosé comes from one of the most expensive places in the world in regards to rosé production Cabrières a small village in Languedoc says Bertrand There are incredibly old vines of Grenache Cinsault Syrah and Mourvèdre planted here and thats where we get our grapes Ultimately Clos du Temple is a rosé that heightens the entire category and can compete with the best rosé Champagne and white wines out there Bertrand is currently working on a winery for the brand in Cabrières which is on track for completion in August Production for Clos du Temple will remain tight with just 300 cases of the 200 wine allocated to the U S From Lafite comes a different luxury Languedoc based brand thats now dabbling in rosé Château dAussières The dAussières rosé is a blend of Grenache Mourvèdre Cinsault and Syrah from our estate and its destined to be enjoyed at the dinner table says de Rothschild She adds that the winery has been experimenting with stabulation a Provençal technique wherein the juice is held at extremely low temperatures prior to initial fermentation and exploring unique aging methods chief among them maturing the wine partially in acacia barrels Its been an adventure for us as we tend to be very classic in vinification says de Rothschild The acacia barrels give the wine structure without overpowering the freshness we want to express Currently still in nascent stages the dAussières rosé is set to roll out to consumers with the 2020 vintage No matter the price point rosé looks poised to continue as a consumer favorite long into the future There are a great many things to be explored with rosé and its a wonderful entry point into the wine category for individuals who may usually perceive wine as too pretentious or dusty says de Rothschild Despite the ongoing pandemic a hopeful note on the prowess of rosé and the wine industry at large prevails among many Wine is central to life its a cultural product that brings people together says Bertrand Weve produced wine for 4000 years and well continue to do that now mw PROVENCE ROSÉ EXPORTS TO THE U S 2009 2019 millions of 9 liter case shipments Calendar Years Sources CIVP and IMPACT DATABANK 025 050 075 100 125 150 175 200 225 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 Gérard Bertrand pictured offers a vast selection of rosé wines within his portfolio to meet a wide variety of occasions His latest rosé Clos du Temple is the most luxury expression yet aimed at heightening the overall rosé category