ACQUISITION

The Combard family, owners of Figuière in La Londe-les-Maures (Côtes-de-Provence La Londe) since 1979, has just acquired Château Barbeiranne located in Pignans (Côtes-de-Provence), between Pierrefeu and Le Luc facing the Maures massif.
Comprising 34 hectares of vines, farm buildings, production facilities and an early 18th century country house, this wine estate has been owned and operated by Mrs Marie-Noëlle Febvre since 2005. Château Barbeiranne has developed and bene ted from a fine local reputation with an important distribution on the Saint-Tropez peninsula among professionals, wine merchants, restaurants and private individuals. This acquisition marks the end of the marketing of the Barbeiranne brand and its wines from the 2019 vintage. The acquisition of Château Barbeiranne meets three strategic objectives for Figuière: autonomy of supply, premiumisation of the ranges, and environmental commitment.

Autonomy

With this acquisition, Figuière achieves total autonomy in all its supplies of Côtes-de-Provence, part of which was until now sourced from purchases of standing grapes or vini ed must. The wines of Barbeiranne will now be vini ed on site and then blended by Figuière in La Londe-les-Maures.
« Château Barbeiranne’s wines will be blended with those of the Signature range, the  rst Côtes-de-Provence wines in the Figuière portfolio: Magali, François and Valérie. Thanks to this acquisition, we are taking control of the entire production chain, from the vines to the vini cation of a total of 120 hectares in Côtes-de-Provence and Côtes-de- Provence La Londe », explains Magali Combard, Marketing and Sales Director.
In terms of grape varieties, we  nd Cinsault and Grenache for the rosés, Rolle for the whites, and Cabernet and Syrah for the reds.

Premiumisation

Figuière is in line with the premiumisation dynamic of Vins de Provence. The autonomy of its supply will naturally offer a better control of the quality of its wines. In the long term, the objective is to optimize two very beautiful complementary terroirs of the Var: La Londe, with its schist and maritime in uence, and Pignans, with its clayey- limestone soils and continental climate.
«The historic terroir of Figuière in La Londe is renowned for the  nesse of its schist soils. The terroir of Barbeiranne will bring a beautiful structure thanks to its clay-limestone soils. The complementary synergy is interesting and will bring complexity and beautiful harmonies to the wines which will remain produced, as at present, in a spirit of accessible wines », explains François Combard, Director of Operations.

Environmental commitment

At Figuière, nature is a luxury! It is therefore quite naturally that the estate has initiated a process of organic conversion of the entire vineyard of Château Barbeiranne. A pioneer in organic conversion in the Côtes-de-Provence region, Figuière can rely on historical know-how applied to the 85 hectares of the estate. Certifcation will be achieved in three years time for the 2022 vintage. From then on, Figuière will be able to present all of its ranges, from Signature to Confidentielle and Première, certifed by Ecocert.
« This conversion will take three years. We must explain it and be patient. This step is essential in our minds and offers a new path towards the premiumisation of our wines, while respecting the DNA of our family. » explains Magali Combard, Marketing and Sales Director.
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