California Luxury Player Demeine Estates Targets 100,000 Cases This Year
July 5, 2023Demeine Estates, the California-based importer and marketer founded by the Lawrence family and Carlton McCoy Jr. in 2020, hasn’t been on the scene very long, but it has already assembled a formidable portfolio of luxury wines from both the U.S. and Europe. This year, Demeine president Philana Bouvier tells SND, the company is on track to top 100,000 cases across a range selling at $60 a bottle and up.
“We’re very bullish on the luxury wine market,” says Bouvier. “If you look at the on-premise, there’s no doubt that on-premise selections are getting tighter and leaner as somms and wine buyers become more thoughtful with their decisions. But we’re seeing strong, dynamic activity on-premise.”
On the domestic side, the Demeine stable is led by the Lawrence family’s Heitz Cellar, along with other upscale entries like Burgess, Brendel, and Ink Grade, among others. Most recently, Demeine added to its domestic portfolio with Haynes, a collection of single-estate wines from Haynes Vineyard in Napa Valley’s Coombsville AVA retailing from $120-$250 a bottle.
“Our domestic luxury Cab business is in well over double-digit growth, and on top of that we’ve made bets with our import portfolio, which has driven us to be up 164% versus last year,” says Bouvier. “A lot of that has to do with how we’re pricing our Napa Valley Cabernet. We’ve raised price on Heitz from being a $50 SRP to an $85 SRP, and we haven’t missed a beat. That says to me that the over-$60 category is doing very well.”
Demeine has also been active on the import side, steadily adding new producers, including recent launches La Chablisienne of Burgundy—with offerings like La Sereine, Le Finage, Grand Cru Le Clos, and Grand Cru Château Grenouilles—and Mazzei from Chianti Classico, including Castello Fonterutoli Gran Selezione, Siepi Toscana IGT, and Concerto Fonterutoli Toscana IGT. Consumer demand for Chablis remains strong, and La Chablisienne offers a reliable supply amid ongoing scarcity in the category, notes Scott Diaz, Demeine’s senior vice president of global marketing and strategy.
In the Champagne category, Demeine has seen rapid growth for grower label Legras & Haas. “In Champagne, it’s important to have a wine by-the-glass driver,” Bouvier notes. “But for us, we’re seeing a lot of the growth not only in the Brut Rosé and the Blanc de Blancs, but also the vintage Champagnes.” Another growing sparkling brand in the range is Villa Marcello Prosecco, which has done well by-the-glass in the on-premise. The import portfolio at Demeine also includes Burgundy’s Domaine de Montille, Sancerre’s Domaine Roc de l’Abbaye, and Piedmont’s Ca’ Romé.—Daniel Marsteller
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