Marie Brizard offloads Moncigale to Grands Vins JC Boisset

Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits (MBWS) is selling is rosé wine specialist, Moncigale, to Grands Vins JC Boisset for an undisclosed sum, it announced this morning.

The sale, which will need to be approved by the French Competition Authorities, will see the Burgundy-based wine empire Boisset Famille des Grands Vins purchase 100% of Moncigale SAS company shares. The dealis set to be finalized at the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.

Moncigale, which was founded as Chais Beaucairois in 1921, is headquartered in Beau­caire in Gard, in Languedoc-Roussillon close to Provence and the Rhone Valley, and works with around around 300 winemakers and co-operatives and has nine production lines, includng one for its canned wine, three for boxed wines and one for bags. Chais Beaucariois was acquired by Marie Brizard in 2002 and renamed Moncigale in 2008.

However sales at the rosé specialist have been falling for several years – it fell -15% in 2019 to €72.2 million with a negative EBITDA – which MBWS attributed to the drop in consumption in wine and flavoured wine-based drinks in France. It pointed out that there was little opporunity for it to create the necessary synergies for growth, citing the lack of overlap between Moncigale’s branded and private lable wine and wine-based drinks, and MBWS’s spirit-based portfolio.  It said Boisset, which owns around 740ha of vines in Burgundy, Rhône Valley, Jura, Beaujolais and California, was an “obvious choice”.

“The integration of Moncigale will enable it to benefit from significant commercial and operational synergies,” the company said.

MBWS’s CEO Andrew Highcock said he was convinced that Moncigale would be able to return to the growth path it deserves, with the support, know-how and power of the Boisset family’s wine houses. 

“This agreement will allow Moncigale to secure its future by offering new prospects to its employees,” he said, adding that the company was “entering a new phase that will mark a significant step forward in the completion of its strategic transformation plan with a focus on its core and profitable activities”.

Earlier this year it announced it was selling its Polish activities. 

Jean-Charles Boisset, president of Grands Vins JC Boisset said he was was happy to welcome the “beautiful house specialized in rosé wines” and its “talented team” into our family.

“Under the impetus of a new commercial dynamic and the implementation of operational synergies, Moncigale will be able to embark on a new path of sustainaible development and participate in the success of our company. We know the Rhone Valley and Languedoc well as we are based there, and Provence will be a new terroir of excellence for us to develop.”