Champagne house Louis Roederer has bought a controlling share in Provençal producer Domaines Ott.
Roederer purchased 66% of the domaine - renowned for its rosé Coeur de Grain - for an undisclosed sum in a deal that leaves the Ott family with the remaining holding.
'It's a meeting of like-minds,' said Frédéric Rouzaud, son of Jean-Claude Rouzaud – head of Roederer and a former Decanter Man of the Year.
'We're very happy,' added Roederer export director Frédéric Heidsieck. 'Ott is a big name in Provence, well-known for its rosé, and we will also be looking to develop the whites and reds. The region has great potential.'
Domaines Ott consists of three estates, two in the Côtes de Provence - Chateau de Selle and Clos Mireille, and Chateau Romassan in Bandol.
Diversification is not a novelty for Roederer. It currently owns winemaking properties in Bordeaux (Ch de Pez and others), Champagne (Deutz), the Rhône (Delas Frères), Portugal (Adriano Ramos Pinto) and California (Roederer Estate). According to Rouzaud, Bordeaux will be an increasingly important focus for Roederer in the near future.
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