Announcing its placement under court protection, the first Côtes de Gascogne estate bears witness to the deterioration of winegrowers' treasuries in the face of successive climatic and economic crises. A weakening which does not spare the star label of the South-West, Tariquet..
A
show your slates but don't leave any behind. This Friday, January 17, the commercial court of Auch (Gers) opened a six-month safeguard procedure for the Tariquet estate (1,125 hectares of vines in the Gers producing 8 million white IGP Côte de Gascogne wines). and 120,000 AOC Bas-Armagnac passes). Affirming its control of the situation in its communication, the Grassa family estate announces “act rather than suffer” with this placing under the protection of the court to achieve a “new roadmap adapted to both the economic situation and its structural capacities” at the end of an observation period (six months which can be renewed once). No panic here, but the opportunity to “strategic reorganization” insists the first owner-harvester of Gascony in an openly reassuring press release.
-31% sales
Recalling that there is no cessation of payment (“the company must be solvent” for backup), the domain reports a “strong impact on profitability” with the sharp drop in its sales: “from around 8 million passes to 5.5 million passes in 3 years (between 2021 and 2023)”. That is to say a 31% drop in sales, linked to a cumulative “external causes” well known throughout the French vineyard: “the health crisis, inflation with rising production costs, geopolitics with customs strategies like that of the United States; climate change and its agricultural calamities (frost, hail, mildew); the economic and agricultural crisis. Without forgetting “the weakness of the harvests over the last four years (i.e. a loss of the equivalent of more than one harvest over 4 years)” with recurring climatic hazards (hail, rain and mildew, etc.).
The estate therefore announces that it is reviewing its business plan, as well as its governance. Since the departure of the estate's general manager, Ithier Bouchard on July 31, 2024 after almost 20 years in the property, management has been ensured by the representatives of the fifth generation, Armin and Rémy Grassa, the presidency remaining with their aunt, Maïté Grassa. For several months, backup plans, but also recovery plans, have been increasing in the South-West. Like in Buzet or Univitis. A difficult step in human terms, but essential strategically, the collective procedure is a step of truth for the sustainability of a wine structure. Particularly if it is anticipated to be accompanied with the support of lawyers. But also the courts.
