Chateau Margaux appoints US representative, plans direct sales of 3rd wine

Chateau Margaux has announced the appointment of a US brand development manager based in New York.

Kenneth Killion (pictured) is from the west coast, where he worked for Moet Hennessy, first in Los Angeles and then in New York.

This follows the October 2012 appointment of Fangyuan Zheng as business development manager in China.

The appointment of Killion coincides with the launch of a new third wine – announced over a year ago but being released under the name Margaux du Château Margaux this autumn.

It is aimed specifically at the US, UK, French and Japanese markets.

Aurelien Valance, commercial director for Margaux, told Decanter.com that Margaux du Château Margaux will be distributed both via negociants and directly to on-trade specialists.

It is most likely the US and Japan will be served by negociants, while the UK and France will be served directly, ‘although nothing is decided yet’, Valance said.

He said they hoped ‘to select around 75 restaurants’ in the UK and France, adding, ‘We believe in the négociant system for our main wines, but with Margaux du Château Margaux we need to be innovative, and are considering the best options.’

Valance also confirmed that because this new wine was intended for restaurant consumption, they would release the vintage most ready to drink. ‘It is possible that we will release 2011 before 2010.’

The third wine is not intended for the Chinese market, although prices for the first growths in China have continued to weaken.

Zheng told Decanter.com that China now represents around 30% of Margaux’s distribution, and that they are keen to ensure other markets remain important.

Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux