Terlato Adds Duval-Leroy Champagnes to Luxury Wine Portfolio

News provided by

Jan 14, 2015, 11:30 ET

LAKE BLUFF, Ill., Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Terlato Wines today announced a new partnership to import the Champagnes of Duval-Leroy. The long-term agreement with the Duval-Leroy family adds depth and diversity to the Terlato Estate portfolio with a highly respected producer and brand with significant growth potential in the U.S.

Terlato Adds Duval-Leroy Champagnes to Luxury Wine Portfolio

The House of Duval-Leroy, located in Vertus in the Cote des Blancs region of France, traces its roots back to 1859, when the Duval and Leroy families joined together to create Premier Cru and Grand Cru Champagnes of exceptional elegance and finesse. Today, Carol Duval-Leroy, the most popular woman in Champagne, leads the family-owned company, with her three sons, Julien, Charles and Louis. Since 1991, she has guided the House to international success, working closely with Chef de Cave Sandrine Logette-Jardin.

"We are very pleased about our new partnership with the Duval-Leroy family," said Terlato Wines CEO William A. Terlato. "Carol Duval-Leroy, her sons and her whole team set the bar high when it comes to quality. Once we tasted their extraordinary Champagnes and met the family, we knew that Duval-Leroy would be the perfect addition to the Terlato Estate portfolio."

Terlato will import a collection of Duval-Leroy Champagnes, including Femme de Champagne 2000 (92 points from Wine Spectator; 93 points from Wine Enthusiast), Brut 2006 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Rose Prestige Brut Premier Cru (93 points from Wine Spectator) and Brut Premier Cru NV (91 points from Wine Spectator), as well as several others. In 2014, Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne 1996 was included in Wine Spectator's "Classic-Scoring Wines of 2014" list, with 97 points.

"We are very happy that the Terlato and Duval-Leroy families unite, because we share the same values and passion in the wine world" said Carol Duval-Leroy. "Terlato Wines' reputation as the top luxury wine importer in the U.S., together with their family ownership and track record of building successful brands, make them an ideal partner for our family."

The House of Duval-Leroy is recognized for its very distinctive style of Champagne, using 100 percent Premier Cru and Grand Cru Chardonnay-based blends. The wines have been described as delicate, fresh, mineral-laced and ethereal, displaying the outstanding quality of Duval-Leroy's prized classified vineyards.

In 1911, Raymond Duval-Leroy revolutionized the Champagne world, creating the first Champagne crafted exclusively from Premier Crus grapes. His vision was to build a great Champagne house that would one day be known for exceptional quality, especially by the gastronomic world. Today, Duval-Leroy is poured in more than 250 Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, and is a respected partner of the global sommelier community. Duval-Leroy was the only Champagne selected for Wine Spectator's Top 100 in 2008. Duval-Leroy also practices sustainability at every level of vineyard management and winemaking, with a commitment to preserve the land while producing wines of incomparable quality and consistency.

Terlato Wines has a global portfolio of more than 70 brands from world class wine producers in more than a dozen countries and controls a 20 percent market share of wines $20 and up in the U.S. Terlato Wines garners more 90+ ratings than any wine company in the world and is a division of the Terlato Wine Group, the parent company comprising several small businesses specializing in the marketing and production of exceptional wines. Owned and operated by the Terlato family for four generations, the Group also includes the family's winery investments and partnerships in some of the world's most esteemed wine regions including: Napa Valley; Sonoma County; Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County; Victoria, Australia; the Rhone Valley in France and; Montalcino, Italy.

The Terlato Wines portfolio of brands includes:Napa Valley: Chimney Rock, EPISODE, Galaxy, Jack Nicklaus Wines, Luke Donald Collection, Markham Vineyards, Rutherford Hill, Tangley Oaks, Terlato Family Vineyards; Sonoma County: Giarrusso, Hanna, Rochioli, The Federalist, Terlato Family Vineyards; Santa Barbara County: Flor de Campo, Sanford; California Appellation: Glass Mountain, Greystone Cellars, Mike Ditka Wines, Seven Daughters; Oregon: Sokol Blosser; Washington State: Grace Lane; Argentina: Cuarto Dominio, Tamari; Australia: Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier, the Lucky Country, Twelftree, Two Hands; Austria: Kracher; Canada: Peller Estates; Chile: Lapostolle; France: Belleruche by M. Chapoutier, Champagne Bollinger, Chapoutier, Chateau de Sancerre, Chateau Timberlay, Domaine Ramonet, Champagne Duval-Leroy, Langlois-Chateau, MARIUS, Mischief & Mayhem; Greece: Boutari, Elios; Italy: Anselmi, Berlucchi, Ca'Marcanda (GAJA Toscana), Cecchi, Colavita, Cusumano, Epsilon, Fizz 56, GAJA, Goretti, Il Poggione, Mazzoni (Toscana), Nino Franco, Santa Margherita; Japan: Shimizu-no-mai Sake; Mediterranean: Elios; New Zealand: Loveblock, Turning Heads, Wairau River; South Africa: Anthonij Rupert, Ernie Els, Guardian Peak, Protea, Rust en Vrede; Spain: Bodegas Valdemar, Marco Abella. Artisan Spirits: Adelphi Selections Scotch, Distillatorio Nonino (Amaro and Grappa), Don Pancho Origenes Rum, Heartland Prohibition Gin, Langley's No. 8 Gin; Marnier XO Cognac, Riazul Tequila, Tigre Blanc Vodka and Tiramisu Liqueur.