Vintage Wine Estates purchases Napa Valley's DELECTUS Winery

SANTA ROSA, Calif., Oct. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vintage Wine Estates announced today the purchase of DELECTUS Winery, a producer of high-scoring, luxury appellation red wines. Chris Phelps has been appointed Consulting Winemaker. Founder Linda Butler will continue to lead DELECTUS hospitality, trade, media and private tastings, winery events and the wine club.

DELECTUS has garnered a reputation for critically acclaimed wines since its founding in 1995. The four flagship Cabernet Sauvignons from the most recent 2013 vintage received scores of 94 points and above.

The purchase of DELECTUS reflects Vintage Wine Estates' acquisition strategy focusing on luxury alcohol beverage portfolios with strong foundations and room to grow. In the past two years, Vintage has added iconic brands Swanson Vineyards and B.R. Cohn Winery, and most recently, Splinter Group Spirits.

Chris Phelps is an internationally known winemaker and red Bordeaux specialist. He studied at University of California, Davis and the Institute of Enology at the University of Bordeaux and worked at Pétrus, Dominus Estate and Caymus Vineyards. Most recently, Chris was Winemaker Emeritus for Swanson Winery & Vineyards in Oakville, which was acquired by Vintage Wine Estates in 2015.

"We have tremendous admiration for Chris Phelps' wines and are thrilled he has agreed to assume the consulting winemaking role for DELECTUS," commented Pat Roney, President and CEO of Vintage Wine Estates. "He is among the top red Bordeaux specialists in the world and will continue the DELECTUS legacy of producing the finest Napa Valley wines."

The winery, located in St. Helena on Highway 29, continues to be open for tastings of current releases and library wines.

About Vintage Wine Estates

Vintage Wine Estates is a privately held wine company owned by a group of vintner families with deep roots in the wine business.  The families own a collection of winery estates and brands including Clos Pegase Winery, Cosentino Winery, Girard Winery, B.R. Cohn Winery, Swanson Vineyards, Viansa Sonoma, Windsor Vineyards, Cartlidge & Browne, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Middle Sister, Tall Dark Stranger, Pro-mis-Q-ous, Monogamy, Girl & Dragon, Purple Cowboy and a number of exclusive wine brands. Vintage Wine Estates is a majority partner in Splinter Group Spirits, producing craft Kentucky whiskey (Straight Edge) and American whiskey (Slaughter House) and markets Clayhouse and Buried Cane wines. An industry leader across all sales channels and dedicated to providing wine consumers with a range of wines from $10 to $100 dollars, Vintage Wine Estates produces outstanding wines from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and other premium California winegrowing regions and respects the way people buy their wine—at wineries, at retail, on the telephone, on television, on the Internet and by mail.  www.vintagewineestates.com

For more information contact:
Mary Ann Vangrin
[email protected]

SOURCE Vintage Wine Estates

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