Tain l’Hermitage, March 8th, 2016 - The annual rankings of the world’s most admired wine brands by the magazine Drinks International* have just been published and the prestigious wine estate M. Chapoutier is the world’s most admired French wine brand. This annual list is drawn up by a panel of experts (over 200 of the world’s best Masters of Wine, sommeliers, teachers and well known journalists) who select the brands from all regions, styles and quality from all over the world according to very precise criteria: continuous improvement of quality, the reflection of the terroir of the region of origin, the ability to meet the demands and tastes of the target consumers, the marketing and packaging, and finally the brand’s strong global appeal.
THE SUCCESS OF A CROSSCUTTING APPROACH
Elected most admired French brand in 2013 and 2014, M. Chapoutier proves that the constant efforts to give the best quality to the maximum number of people have borne fruit.
Michel Chapoutier commented, “I am very pleased and proud that Maison M. Chapoutier is the world’s most admired French wine brand. It encourages me to continue our strategy of offering quality wine at all ranges and price levels. It proves that in France, successful wine requires an across-the board approach: we have to be able to make great wines but also to produce good wines at €5 a bottle. This award shows that France and its wines have a fine future in store.”
MAISON M. CHAPOUTIER, A FRENCH SUCCESS STORY
Michel Chapoutier took over the family estate in the Rhône region in 1990, when it was experiencing tough times. Twenty-five years later, the volume of sales has multiplied by 25 and today the House is a flourishing company (€50 million in turnover, 130 employees, 9 million bottles sold every year all over the world) and one of the flagships in the global winemaking world (it is the brand that has had the most 100/100 scores awarded by Robert Parker in the world).
To achieve such great success, the adventurous Michel Chapoutier introduced his conception of biodynamic farming and terroir-based wines, vinifying each parcel separately. He is also ambitious, and has expanded his vineyard in just a few years, spreading the estate over several Côtes du Rhône appellations, but also in Australia, Portugal, and in Alsace and Provence ... but without skimping on quality, no matter what the range of wines. This quest for quality at all levels of the range is one of the keys to the brand’s success: making premium wines on excellent terroirs, but also enabling everyone to enjoy a treat, by making affordable wines, but always to the same quality standards. In 25 years, the small family estate has become something of a legend worldwide and a true success for France.
Very attached to his home region, the Rhône Valley, Michel Chapoutier is also very engaged locally, with large-scale plans for wine tourism (M. Chapoutier school with a multitude of tasting events, 3 self-catering holiday homes opened in 2014 right in the heart of the Rhône Valley vineyards, a cellar and soon opening a top-notch restaurant in Tain l’Hermitage) and philanthropy (including the Vendanges du Cœur charity event for over 10 years to promote bone marrow donations, and commercial actions to finance a local school for guide dogs for the blind and partially sighted).