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1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Tuesday 24 November 2015

Bouvet-Ladubay back with Monmousseau family after 41 years

 President Patrice Monmousseau
Conducteur en chef !


Juliette Monmousseau CEO


 

Indian-based United Spirits, controlled by Diageo, recently put its non-core businesses, including Bouvet Ladubay, up for sale. In early November the sale was announced though the purchaser was not revealed at the time. On 18th November a management buyout deal was finalised to put the Monmousseau family are now back in control of Bouvet-Ladubay 41-years after it was bought by Taittinger. 
 
Under the deal the family hold 100% of the shares. In order to finance the purchase, the Monmousseau family created an acquisition holding in conjunction with three private equity firms - Ouest Croissance, regional investor and leader of the operation; CM CIC Investments; and Unigrains – together with a consortium of banking institutions headed by Banque Populaire Atlantique, and including the Banque CIC Ouest, the Banque Européenne du Credit Mutuel, and the Banque Caisse d'Epargne Bretagne Pays de la Loire. With a majority of partners based in the Loire region, this deal marks the return to regional based financing for the company


Bouvet-Ladubay has changed hands a number of times since it was founded in 1851 by Etienne Bouvet and his wife – Célestine Ladubay. In 1932 it was bought by Justin-Marcel Monmousseau, Patrice's grandfather. In 1974 Taittinger bought Bouvet along the Monmousseau sparkling wine business in Montrichard in Touraine. In 2006 Taittinger sold to Indian-based United Breweries/United Spirits. This allowed Bouvet to launch in the Indian market. 

However, United Breweries, owner of Kingfisher beer, ran into problems with their Kingfisher Airline. During 2013 Diageo became the largest shareholder in United Spirits.   


The Monmousseau family, however, continued to run the company. Patrice has been the in charge since taking over from his father, Jean, in 1972. The dynamic, ebullient, trumpet-playing Patrice Monmousseau will remain president and Juliette, his daughter, continues as CEO.


Bouvet-Ladubay is based in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent, a western suburb of Saumur. In 2008 they have invested in a new vinification and cellaring facility at nearby Distré called Bouvet Full Metal .


Cuvée Trésor, white and rosé, are Bouvet's top sparkling wines. The company has long been a patron of the arts. Since 1996 they have hosted the Journées du Livres et du Vin, celebrating literature and wine.


In 1994 Monmousseau (Montrichard) was sold by Taittinger to the Bernard-Massard, who in turn sold the company to pan-Loire company Ackerman in 2010.    



 

 In Bouvet's historic cellars

 






The Monmousseaus love to hold 
elaborate parties for their distributors 




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