Opus One credits global success to Bordeaux négociants

(TDB) - Californian Cabernet blend Opus One is enjoying strong international demand through Bordeaux négociants, despite stagnating sales for the region’s Left Bank brands handled by the same distributors.

In 2004, Opus One, a joint venture devised in 1978 by France’s Baron Philippe de Rothschild and America’s Robert Mondavi, was listed on La Place de Bordeaux, allowing it to be handled by the some 400 négociants that exist in the region.

It was a distribution decision that coincided with the acquisition of Robert Mondavi’s 50% stake in Opus One by Constellation Brands and the appointment of David Pearson as CEO to manage the Californian brand independently of its owners.

Speaking to db last year, Pearson confirmed the successful impact of relinquishing distribution to Bordeaux négociants, despite a feeling among some in the trade that “La Place” – as the trading system is often called – is an antiquated approach to reaching a global audience.

“The demand for the wine has been as strong as it has been for decades, and there are a mix of things that make that demand, but one of them is the way we come to market and distribute,” Pearson told db in late November at a dinner at French restaurant Orrery to promote Opus One to London wine collectors.