Amathus Drinks to distribute Champagne Duval-Leroy

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 03 April, 2018

Amathus Drinks has announced a new partnership with Vertus producer Champagne Duval-Leroy.

As of yesterday (April 2), Amathus has become the exclusive UK distributor for the house, supplying its portfolio to the UK on and off-trades.

Family-owned since 1859, Champagne Duval-Leroy is today known for its usually high proportion of estate-owned Premiere and Grand Cru vineyards in the Chardonnay-focused Côte des Blancs.

Specialist drinks importer and retailer Amathus will take responsibility for the house in the UK, drawing on the success of the house’s presence in the global on-trade via luxury hotel and restaurant group Relais & Châteaux.

Amathus’s direct distribution area covers most parts of England and Wales with centres in London, Bristol and Coventry, with £60m turnover in 2017.

Jeremy Lithgow MW, Amathus Drinks’ head of wine said: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a prestigious house. The quality across the range is outstanding and we’re excited to be working with another family owned company which shares our desire for quality and ambitions for growth in the UK market.”

The deal has been struck against a backdrop of declining Champagne sales in the UK and the EU, where the iconic French fizz is battling against the rise of Prosecco and other sparkling alternatives.

According to 2017 Champagne shipment figures from the Champagne Bureau, EU sales were down by 1.3% to 76.6 million bottles while the French market declined by 2.5% to 153.7 million bottles.

Globally however, Champagne achieved a record turnover of €4.9 billion in 2017, with more opportunity coming from emerging and growing markets outside of the EU.

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