Michel Laroche gains premium foothold.
Drinks International
September 1998
Launched just a year ago in export, Domaine La Chevaliere (DLC) is developing a strong foothold as a premium Vin de Pays d'Oc brand. The first vintage was produced at the newly acquired winery back in 1996 using fruit produced by around 20 growers in the region.
The DLC range boasts no fewer than 15 different wines ranging from single varietals – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Merlot and Syrah to more sophisticated offerings such as the Chevaliere Reserve Grenache Vieilles Vignes (old vines) and Merlot/Grenache blend.
In contrast to Domaine Laroche in Chablis, the emphasis in the Languedoc is on blending from different sources across the region to achieve different subtleties in the wines and working outside the confines of the AC system. Yves Barry, who has gained experience in regions in the New World as well as France, head up the winemaking team working in collaboration with vineyard manager Richard Lavanoux.
DLC, distributed by the Percy Fox in the UK, the specialist wine subsidiary of UDV, has got off to a good start. The on trade has been targeted to establish the new brands with the emphasis being placed initially on the core varietals of the range.
Simon Lawson, agency director for Percy Fox, reports a good response for the brand: "Both the product and the packaging are distinctive which has enabled us to gain some quality listings. The clean, innovative bottle shape and classic label style communicates a distinct personality," he told Drinks International.
The next stage of development is to bring the dual varietals on stream and for the long term, as the brand gains strength, Lawson believes that blends will provide the greatest point of difference for the brand.
DLC has been supported in the UK on trade with POS material including branded glasses, tent cards and wine list covers. Awareness has also been raised among consumers through competitions. A "master blender" competition drew attention to how the wine is produced and consumers could also enter a draw to win a trip to the winery in the Languedoc.
Although a still a relatively young brand in export; DLC has been able to join its sister brand Domaine Laroche Chablis in many export markets. Around 95% of the total production is exported to the UK, US, Sweden, Southern Ireland and Japan.
Languedoc shows its class
As the largest wine producing region in France – and indeed the world – the Languedoc continues to gain ground in export offering as it does a wealth of different wines. Patricia Langton looks at the latest happenings
Widely recognised as France's answer to the New World, the Languedoc stands at the forefront of the Vin de Pays bandwagon. Unshackled by the likes of the AC strictures of Bordeaux, the region enjoys considerable freedom to work with internationally popular grape varieties, and now the move is to produce wines of an ever higher quality.
Indeed the leading names such as Fortant, Domaine la Chevaliere and Domaines Virginie are all starting to talk abut terroir – while Bordeaux producers are looking at Vin de Pays – and to this end are seeking out the most appropriate estates as well as vineyards to bring the best quality and typicity to their wines.
This is a logical development, which will enable producers to compete even more with their rivals in the New World and produce wines to suit even more export markets.
This is already happening in the UK where retailers such as Majestic are looking for value for money from this area, whether it be in a Vin de Pay d'Oc or AC wines, but they were also looking for regional characteristics from both categories. Furthermore, encouraged by sampling initiatives in-store, consumers will happily pay £6 for wines from the Languedoc which is a hugely promising sign.
What would give the region an extra and necessary boost is more movement on the generic promotional front. While it currently represents an innovative, forward-looking industry through its Vin de Pays wines, a proposition which is easy to understand by both the trade and consumer alike, its AC wines suffer from a weak image and lack of prestige on the whole. Furthermore the structure of the Languedoc compounds this problem as the region is home to vast numbers of small producers who sell on wine to negociants and co-operatives.
Some of the best examples of distinctive and high quality wine can be found among the smaller boutique producers and growers who have broken away from co-operatives to bottle their own wines. These producers offer a competitive quality/price ratio for Languedoc AC wines which is well worth seeking out in the myriad of other appellations from the region.
It is the task of the regional promotional body, the CIVL, to promote the Languedoc's appellations as a united force. It is to be hoped that the new team at the CIVL, now headed up by Bernard Devic since January this year, will implement a communications strategy to reinforce the international image of the Languedoc.
While the CIVL has yet to unveil specific plans for this much needed generic support, -- especially at the AC level, marketing efforts, thought to be in the pipeline, are likely to draw attention to the rich diversity of the Languedoc, its grape varieties, and the quality of its wines.