Rémy Cointreau to invest in Champagne again

French spirits group Rémy Cointreau has returned to the sparkling wine world with plans to acquire a majority stake in Champagne de Telmont, nine years after it sold Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck to EPI.

The French drinks company has announced that it has entered into negotiations with the Lhopital family to purchase a majority stake in Champagne de Telmont.

Rémy Cointreau sold its Champagne division to luxury goods group EPI for €412 million in 2011, after putting its brands Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck up for sale the year before.

Founded in 1912, family-owned Champagne de Telmont is based in Damery, near Epernay, in the Marne Valley. The house produces wine under the J. de Telmont label and is currently presided over by the fourth generation of the family.

As part of the deal, Bertrand Lhopital, together with his team, will continue to work for the house, maintaining the vineyards, managing grape sourcing and overseeing production.

The investment includes the house’s brands, stock, production resources, real estate assets and vineyards.

Rémy Cointreau hopes to complete the deal in the third quarter of the 2020/21 financial year. The group, which has a portfolio of 12 brands, recently finalised its acquisition of Cognac house JR Brillet.

In a statement, the company said that the acquisition of Champagne de Telmont “would enrich [its] portfolio of exceptional wines and spirits with a high-end Champagne brand that offers significant growth potential overtime, especially on the international market”.

Champagne de Telmont current produces five different ranges of Champagnes including classic cuvées, prestige cuvées and a heritage collection. Since 2017, over a third of the grapes it uses have been certified organic, or are in the process of conversion.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.