Marchesi Frescobaldi to Acquire Domaine Roy & fils in U.S. Expansion
Marchesi Frescobaldi said it agreed to purchase Domaine Roy & fils, one of Oregon's most prestigious wine producers located in the heart of the Willamette Valley. The transaction is expected to close before the end of July 2023. Terms weren't disclosed.
Lamberto Frescobaldi, President Marchesi Frescobaldi commented “At this stage of our expansion we decided to seize the opportunity to acquire the beautiful Domaine Roy & fils winery in Oregon, one of the best regions in the world for Pinot Noir. To become part of such a community is a dream come true."
Domaine Roy & fils was founded in 2012 by Marc-Andre’ Roy with Jared Etzel, continuing in the footsteps of their fathers who had partnered to establish Beaux Freres in 1991. To accompany the Roy family, in their vision of a second-generation vineyard, 26 friends from Quebec took part in the venture. Domaine Roy & fils has quickly joined the ranks of Oregon’s celebrated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers. It has enjoyed uniformly high praise for many of the wines produced to date.
With the most recent plantings coming to maturity, the estate’s 40 acres of vineyard in two locations now supply all of the grapes for the Domaine Roy & fils offerings. The plantings are exclusively Pinot Noir (35 acres) and Chardonnay (5 acres). The vineyards are farmed 100% organic and without irrigation.
The Domaine Roy & fils winery and Iron Filbert vineyard are located 45 minutes south-west of Portland near the town of Dundee in the Dundee Hills AVA, home to more elite wineries than any other part of the Willamette Valley. The second vineyard (Quartz Acorn) is located 25 minutes west of the winery in the prestigious Yamhill-Carlton AVA, adjacent to Louis Jadot’s Resonance Vineyard and the Jackson Family’s Gran Moraine Vineyard.
Other well-known producers near Domaine Roy & fils include some of Oregon’s best known wineries including Domaine Serene, Beaux Freres and Domaine Drouhin.
Domaine Roy & fils built their winery as a single, two-level building, including hospitality and offices on the upper floor with winery cellar and production on the ground floor. Construction of the winery was completed in 2015 and was designed by Waterleaf Architecture. The cellar uses the natural cooling effect of the ground and has been designed for optimal natural airflow.
Under the terms of the agreement with Frescobaldi, Marc-Andre Roy will continue joint leadership of the Domaine Roy & fils winery in collaboration with the Frescobaldi family as a member of the Board of Directors and as a minority owner.
Marc-André Roy, Co-founder and President of Domaine Roy & fils, said: “It has been important to continue the work started by my father, founder of Beaux-Freres, when we established Domaine Roy et fils in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, recognized as one of the premier Pinot Noir producing areas in the world.” “We are humbled and thrilled to welcome the Frescobaldi Family as the new owners of Domaine Roy & fils," said Marc-André. "Their esteemed winemaking heritage and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our own values. We believe this partnership will preserve and elevate the legacy of Domaine Roy & fils".
Marchesi Frescobaldi was advised on the acquisition by WithersWorldWide's transatlantic practice with teams in Milan, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Domaine Roy & fils was advised on the transaction by lawyers Davis, Wrights & Tremaine in Portland, Oregon.
International Wine Associates (IWA) initiated this transaction with Frescobaldi on behalf of Domaine Roy & fils and served as their exclusive financial advisors.