Mentzendorff wins Colombo agency

By Mathew Lyons

Published: 26 February, 2020

Rhône Valley winemaker Jean-Luc Colombo has appointed Mentzendorff & Co as his exclusive agent in the UK.

Metzendorff takes over distribution of Colombo’s ‘Blue Coast’ Mediterranean wines – made from vineyards in the bay of Marseilles – on 1 April, with the whole range becoming available from 1 July.

Colombo and his wife Anne acquired their first vineyards in Cornas in the Rhône Valley – where they now have some 120ha under vine – in 1994, having established a reputation as a consultant on Syrah, in particular, through the Centre Oenologique des Côtes du Rhône, which they founded 10 years previously.

Their daughter Laure is now the winery’s head-winemaker.

While most of Colombo’s wines are made from Syrah, with the three single-vineyard wines from Cornas – Les Ruchets, La Louvée and Vallon de L’Aigle being particularly notable – Cairanne, Grenache and Mourvedre are also used to create a number blends.

Commenting on the move, Colombo said: “We are very much looking forward to working with the Mentzendorff team. Their dedication to wine, knowledge of our region and expertise in developing distribution in key quality focused parts of the market such as the on-trade and wine merchants, makes them the perfect long-term partner for us in the UK.”

Andrew Hawes, MD of Mentzendorff, said: “Jean-Luc Colombo is a natural addition to our portfolio of family-owned wine companies all of whom represent the highest quality from their respective regions.

“We are delighted to be continuing to work in the Rhône Valley, an area we have a deep experience and love of, and with one of its truly great names. We are also very excited to be selling the wines from the ‘Blue Coast’ region of the South of France, an area that Jean-Luc has pioneered, for the first time.”

Other producers in the Mentzendorff portfolio include Taylor’s Port, Henriques & Henriques, Delamain Cognac, Domaine Chanson, Maison Saint-Aix, Bodegas Roda, Ciacci Piccolomini and Turkey Flat.

Colombo’s wines were formerly distributed in the UK by Hatch Mansfield.

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