Château Minuty in Saint-Tropez, France.Supplied
Minuty is a best-selling premium rosé in Europe, the Caribbean and Dubai, largely thanks to the efforts of the fourth-generation Château Minuty owners Jean-Etienne and François Matton who made the popular French Riviera rosé producers’ marketing decisions for 86 years. But this year, after the brand’s purchase by the Moët Hennessy group, the Matton family will be taking a step back, while continuing to manage the winery founded in Saint-Tropez in 1936.
“The image we have is due to the owner’s careful approach to quality,” explains Sebastien Nore, Minuty’s Global Strategy and Export Director. “Minuty is very fresh, crisp and light, almost transparent, in colour, but with a strong aroma. That was the style of wine the family wanted to drink themselves.”
Château Minuty’s portfolio includes M de Minuty Rosé and Prestige as well as luxury brands, Château Minty 281 and Rosé et Or. Moët Hennessy is known for iconic Champagne brands like Krug, Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart.
Moët-Hennessy’s purchase in February 2023 expands its interests in the trendy Côtes de Provence appellation, which include Château Galoupet, Château d’Esclans and its négociant business (including Whispering Angel).
The Côtes de Provence appellation produced 101 million bottles of rosé in 2021. Moët-Hennessy’s production in the region for the 2023 is estimated to exceed 25 million bottles, including an anticipated 14 million bottles of Whispering Angel and eight million bottles of M de Minuty, which is a stylish blend of grenache, cinsault, syrah and tibouren, which contribute to the floral and berry flavours of a refreshing and restrained pink wine.
According to Nore, the addition of a marketing director and a recent purchase of 50 hectares of vineyards that will be replanted to increase production for the future are moves to meet the increasing demand for top-quality rosé from the south of France. (Minuty now farms more than 200 hectares of vineyards in the Côtes du Provence appellation.)
“I think that Möet Hennessy wants to enlarge its footprint, and I would say that the closest alcoholic beverage to Champagne is rosé,” Nore says. “In Europe, rosé is called the Champagne of the day.”
Rosé wines continue to grow in popularity because they are easy to appreciate. “We used to say it was perfect for drinking from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” says Nore, “but really it’s our way of sharing a piece of the French Riviera with everyone.”
M de Minuty Rosé 2022 is currently available for $29.95 in Ontario and Quebec, various prices in Alberta, and a limited edition bottling is available for $36.99 in British Columbia.