Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) is threatening to challenge the French status quo with the launch of its newest brand.
The global wine business announced it is launching Maison de Grand Esprit, a new collection of French wines that combines "old world winemaking techniques with a multi-region sourcing approach" - and is aiming to break the tradition of the French wine model in the process.
TWE is claiming that the new launch will subvert the French convention of focusing on a single sub-region, instead showcasing the country’s most famous areas: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone and Provence.
The Australian-based company said it has taken tips from the New World to build the brand, which it hopes will bring simplicity to the category for consumers.
The company has not purchased any vineyards for the new venture.
Instead, it has sourced grapes from the area, with all wines made and bottled at wineries in France.
The company, which owns assets in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the US and Italy, will first launch the brand in the rapidly-growing Asian market, where, according to CEO Michael Clarke, the combination of a “flexible sourcing model” and new world marketing approach will deliver greater accessibility of premium wine from France to Asian consumers.
“French wine is one of the most sought after country-of-origin wines across North Asia, as consumers see this category as a benchmark for quality. We have created Maison de Grand Esprit as a brand built from multiple regions within the one country, but importantly, the wine is produced to a consistent quality standard, as opposed to various regional winemaking standards. This is similar to the approach we take for Penfolds, and in doing so we are making the French category easier to understand and more accessible to Asian consumers,” Clarke said.
The three tiers of luxury wines within the portfolio will initially to be sold across North Asia, with other markets to follow in FY2018.