Ackerman buys Drouet Frères

 

Bernard Jakob, director-general of Ackerman

Continuing their expansion within the Loire Ackerman has just bought the Pays Nantais producer and négociant Drouet Frères, who are based in La Chapelle Heulin. In 1986 Bordeaux négociant Borie-Manoux bought a majority share in Drouet Frères, which continued to be run as a separate entity.

Drouet's main production facility is in La Chapelle-Heulin with a capacity of 20,000 hl. This move further strengthens Ackerman's presence in the pays Nantais. In 2009 they bought the long standing Pays Nantais company Donatien Bahuaud from Gabriel Meffre. In May 2014 they bought les Celliers du Prieuré (Valentin Fleur), which also has a presence in Muscadet. 

In May 2015 Ackerman acquired from Jacques Beaujeau – Château la Varière in Brissac-Quince (Anjou) and Domaine de la Perruche in Montsoreau (Saumur-Champigny). Jacques had bought the 43-hectare Perruche in 2000. Reaching retirement age Jacques sold up as there was nobody in the family wanting to take over. The estate totaled 160 hectares.  

Ackerman, whose shareholders include Alliance Loire, is now easily the largest Loire based négociant with a turnover of 90 million euros, 350 hectares of vines and a vinification capacity of 120,000 hls. Their headquarters are in Saint-Hilaire Saint-Florent, a western suburb of Saumur where a number of the Saumur sparkling wine houses are based.

Castel Frères and Grands Chais de France are the other two leading négociants in the Loire but both are based outside the Loire – in Bordeaux and Alsace respectively.   

Press release: 
'La Maison ACKERMAN annonce le rachat de la Maison DROUET FRÈRES
Fondée en 1880, la Maison Drouet Frères  figure parmi les plus anciennes maisons de vins de Loire. Elle réalise un CA proche de 20 M€ (2014) la positionnant comme le 3ème opérateur viticole du vignoble Nantais. Elle était jusqu’alors propriété de Borie-Manoux, Bordeaux, et de leur associé Jean Philippe Drouet.

Cette croissance s'inscrit pour la Maison Ackerman dans son plan stratégique pour conforter son rôle d’acteur de référence dans les vins de Loire, reconnue à la fois pour son leadership dans les fines bulles mais aussi dans les vins tranquilles de qualité, au travers de ses différentes marques en France et surtout à l'Export. 

Par cette acquisition, la Maison Ackerman conforte  son implantation dans le vignoble des Vins de Nantes. Avec les Celliers du Prieuré (Valentin Fleur) la Maison Ackerman atteste de sa volonté de se développer dans ce vignoble reconnu. Le Muscadet est la 1ère AOP de vins blancs en France et la Maison Ackerman, malgré la crise actuelle que traverse ce vignoble, croit en son avenir et se veut être un acteur de sa renaissance.

Cette acquisition lui permet aussi de développer un véritable outil industriel dédié à la production des vins de Nantes grâce aux 2 sites de la Maison Drouet : la Cave de Vinification de la Vallée Ligérienne au Landreau comme principal outil de vinification d’une capacité de 20 000 Hl et le site de la Chapelle Heulin comme site de conditionnement. Cela lui permettra également d ‘accroître ses synergies avec Les Vignerons de la Noëlle, section viticole de la coopérative Terrena, principal actionnaire de la Maison Ackerman. 

A propos de la Maison Ackerman :
Ackerman en quelques chiffres :
- un CA de 90 M€ consolidé,
- un opérateur référent des vins à fines bulles de Loire,
- une implication forte dans le vignoble : 350 ha de vignes,
- une capacité de vinification de plus de 120 000 Hl,
- 240 salariés collaborateurs,'

2009 Clos de Chaumont, Saumur-Champigny – a reassessment

 

On Monday 6th September I posted an assessment of a bottle of the 2009 Clos de Chaumont, Saumur-Champigny from the Domaine de la Perruche that I had tasted in London. I was very surprised because the wine was very disappointing. Last night we had the opportunity to taste and drink another bottle of the 2009 Clos de Chaumont. It was entirely different – confirmed by CRM who tasted it blind. Although not a heavyweight Saumur-Champigny, this had good and attractive concentration of ripe fruit that is typical of 2009. This is a bottle to enjoy now, although it should keep happily for the next  three or four years. In contrast the Anjou Villages from Château la Varière, the other property of Jacques Beaujeau, is more a wine for longer ageing.

I can only assume that the disappointing bottle in London had been ruined by a defective cork. It wasn't corked but the cork had presumably stripped it of its character – making the wine thin and harsh. This disadvantage of cork receives less attention than the incidence of cork taint (TCA). It is, however, more insidious as the consumer assumes that the wine is poor and, unless they know the wine well, they are likely to avoid wines from this producer in future.

 

2007 Clos de Chaumont, Saumur-Champigny, Domaine de la Perruche

2007 Clos de Chaumont, Saumur-Champigny, Domaine de la Perruche

I'll admit to being perplexed. Last Thursday we tried the 2009 Clos de Chaumont and were surprised and disappointed – thin fruit and high acidity, which was particularly surprising in a 2009 red and when the straight 2009 Saumur-Champigny from Perruche had had plenty of attractive fruit.

 

Trying the 2007 only adds to the sense of puzzlement as this is an attractive Saunmur-Champigny from a difficult year with good concentration of spicy black fruits with a black pepper and clove character. 

 

The 45ha Domaine de la Perruche in Montsoreau belongs to Jacques and Anne Beaujeau. They bought the estate in 2002. 

Domaine de la Perruche: a couple of 2009 Saumur-Champignys

2009 Saumur-Champigny from Domaine de la Perruche

Over the past few days we have tried a couple of 2009 Saumur-Champignys from the 45ha Domaine de la Perruche in Montsoreau. The straight 2009 Saumur-Champigny, which we tried last night, has attractive soft red fruits and some balancing acidity – all in all an easy drinking style of Saumur-Champigny to enjoy over the next two or three years.

The Domaine de la Perruche was bought by Jacques and Anne Beaujeau (Château la Varière, Brissac-Quincé) in 2002. It has 42ha of Cabernet Franc and three of Chenin Blanc.

 

2009 Clos de Chaumont, Saumur-Champigny, Domaine de la Perruche

In contrast we tried the Perruche's single vineyard 2009 Clos de Chaumont, Saumur-Champigny which was a considerablde disappointment with thin fruit and rasping acidity. It may, of course, been a poor bottle, although it certainly wasn't corked. On the evidence of this bottle well below the level of the straight 2009 Saumur-Champigny.


NB 24th September 2010. I have tasted another bottle of the 2009 Clos de Chaumont and am happy to report that it was completely different from the one tasted above. It had the attractive fruit of a 2009 and none of the rasping acidity noted above. Although the above bottle wasn't corked, I can only assume that the cork in the above bottle was defective. Unfortunately this is the worst aspect of cork when it diminishes a wine without leaving the tell-tale aroma of TCA.

Reassessment of the 2009 Clos de Chaumont here.