Louis Roederer has completed its acquisition of Domaine Pierre Damoy, giving the family-owned Champagne house its first foothold in Burgundy in its 250-year history.
The acquisition, announced on July 24, brings the Gevrey-Chambertin estate into Roederer Collection, the group of wineries and other businesses associated with Louis Roederer. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The acquisition is significant both for its timing – Louis Roederer is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year – and for the rarity of an estate of this scale becoming available in Burgundy, where ownership of top vineyard land is highly fragmented and properties seldom come onto the market.
Domaine Pierre Damoy owns nearly eight hectares of grand cru vineyards, primarily in Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze and Chapelle-Chambertin, three of Gevrey-Chambertin’s most prestigious appellations. The estate also owns Clos Tamisot, a Gevrey-Chambertin monopole, meaning the vineyard is controlled by a single producer.
The purchase follows exclusive negotiations announced by the two parties in April as we have reported. Its completion places one of Gevrey-Chambertin’s most substantial collections of grand cru vines under the ownership of one of Champagne’s best-known independent family groups.
“In the year Louis Roederer celebrates its 250th anniversary, establishing a presence in Burgundy, one of the world’s most prestigious wine regions, and becoming the steward of one of its great estates carries a special meaning for us,” Louis Roederer CEO Frédéric Rouzaud said.
Rouzaud said Domaine Pierre Damoy reflected the group’s focus on exceptional terroirs, distinctive estates and long-term stewardship. Louis Roederer intends to build on the work of the Damoy family while preserving the domaine’s identity, he added.
“Our mission now is to accompany this estate with humility and exacting standards, building on the remarkable work carried out by the Damoy family and preserving everything that makes it truly unique,” Rouzaud said.
A rare Burgundy foothold
Domaine Pierre Damoy traces its roots to the early 20th century, when the property was acquired by Julien Damoy. Its vineyards are distinguished by a high proportion of old vines and considerable genetic diversity, according to the estate.
Its grand cru holdings represent the heart of the acquisition. Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze rank among Burgundy’s most celebrated vineyards, while Chapelle-Chambertin is one of Gevrey-Chambertin’s nine grand cru appellations.
The scale of the estate is particularly notable in Burgundy, where inheritance laws and generations of family succession have divided many vineyards among numerous owners. Individual producers frequently farm only a few rows within a grand cru, making a domaine with almost eight hectares of such land an unusually valuable asset.
The acquisition also gives Roederer an immediate presence in the Côte de Nuits rather than requiring the group to assemble vineyard holdings over time.
Domaine Pierre Damoy now joins a portfolio spanning Champagne, Bordeaux, the Rhône Valley, Provence, Portugal’s Douro Valley and California.
Roederer broadens its fine-wine portfolio
Louis Roederer was founded in Reims in 1776 and remains controlled by the Rouzaud family, with Frédéric Rouzaud representing its seventh generation. The house is best known for Cristal, the prestige cuvée created in 1876 for Russian Emperor Alexander II.
Over time, the family has expanded beyond Champagne through a series of carefully selected acquisitions, including Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Bordeaux, Domaines Ott in Provence, Delas Frères in the Rhône Valley, Ramos Pinto in Portugal and several wineries in California.
Until now, however, Burgundy had remained absent from its portfolio.
Roederer Collection comprises 12 wineries and more than 1,100 hectares of vineyards, employing more than 1,000 people worldwide. Its other activities include three distribution subsidiaries, the Bordeaux négociant Maison Descaves, a corporate arts foundation and a growing hospitality business.
The group presents the acquisition of Domaine Pierre Damoy as an extension of its longstanding model: purchasing distinctive estates while allowing them to retain their individual histories and identities.
For Louis Roederer, the deal represents more than another addition to its portfolio. In the year marking the house’s 250th anniversary, it establishes the family group in Burgundy for the first time – and does so through one of Gevrey-Chambertin’s most historically important estates.
In Greater China, Links Concept is the exclusive distributor of Champagne Louis Roederer across mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
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