Maison Joanne

What Maison Joanne does

Maison Joanne is a Bordeaux-based négociant house founded in 1862, currently in its fifth generation of Castéja family ownership. The company specializes in the global distribution of classified growth fine wines (Grands Crus Classés), which constitute approximately 95% of its turnover, serving roughly 1,000 distributor clients across 63 countries that collectively reach an estimated 10,000 professional end-clients. Operating from 18,000 square meters of facilities in Carignan-de-Bordeaux with storage capacity for 5-6 million bottles, Maison Joanne sells approximately 4 million bottles annually and participates in the biannual Bordeaux en primeur campaign as a major allocation holder.

The business operates through three core channels: classic Bordeaux fine wine trading via La Place de Bordeaux; dedicated wholly-owned subsidiaries for the US (Joanne US, serving 600+ restaurants and wine shops) and China (Joanne China, 300+ distributor clients); and Joanne Rare Wines, a subsidiary created in January 2021 to distribute 100+ international fine wines from regions including Italy, the USA, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and Spain. Revenue derives primarily from transaction-based margins on wine trading (typically 15-18% on en primeur), supplemented by storage and provenance services.

In April 2022, Maison Joanne opened its capital to a consortium of high-profile French private investors, including Claude Bébéar (founder of AXA), Norbert Dentressangle (creator of XPO Logistics), Philippe Donnet family (leadership of Generali), and Hugues Lechanoine (former CEO of Baron Philippe de Rothschild), while the Castéja family retained control and Pierre-Antoine Castéja remained chairman. The firm employs 11-50 people and operates without disclosed digital, AI, or software platform capabilities, reflecting its position as a heritage commodities trading business rather than a technology-enabled enterprise.

Name

Maison Joanne

Legal name

Maison Joanne

Website

https://joanne.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1862

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maison Joanne is a fifth-generation, family-owned Bordeaux négociant founded in 1862 that distributes classified growth and international fine wines through ~1,000 distributor clients across 63 countries, supplemented by US and China subsidiaries and Joanne Rare Wines for international labels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Wine Distribution and Wholesale

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)

Keywords

• Fine wine distribution
• Bordeaux négociant services
• Classified growth trading
• En primeur futures
• International wine export

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fine Wine Trading: Maison Joanne specializes in trading classified growths (Grands Crus Classés) from Bordeaux and international fine wines. The company buys wine futures from châteaux, stores them, and distributes globally through its network. Profit margins on en primeur transactions typically range 15-18%. The company sold approximately 4 million bottles annually.
2. Joanne Rare Wines: International wine distribution subsidiary created in January 2021, handling non-Bordeaux wines from prestigious estates globally. The subsidiary sells over 100 international wines including icons from Italy, USA, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and Spain.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Maison Joanne is a Bordeaux négociant that buys classified growth wines (grands crus classés) from châteaux, primarily through en primeur (futures) campaigns, stores them in its 18,000-square-meter facilities, and distributes them globally through its Bordeaux Place network and regional subsidiaries to wine merchants, importers, restaurants, and wine shops. Through its Joanne Rare Wines subsidiary (created January 2021), it also markets more than 100 international fine wines from Italy, USA, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and Spain.

Product overview

Maison Joanne is a prestigious Bordeaux wine merchant (négociant) founded in 1862, operating as one of the largest distributors of fine wines in Bordeaux. The company offers a unified portfolio combining its core fine wine distribution business (handling classified growths and grands crus) with dedicated services including en primeur trading, professional storage facilities, and international subsidiaries (Joanne US and Joanne China). Its subsidiary Joanne Rare Wines, created in early 2021, extends the portfolio to include great foreign wines from international regions distributed through La Place de Bordeaux. The company exports to 63 countries, serving approximately 1000 customers with stock of approximately 5 million bottles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fine Wine Distribution (Grands Crus Classés) Core négociant activity: buying classified growth and grand cru wines from Bordeaux châteaux and reselling them globally to approximately 1,000 wine merchants, importers, restaurants and wine shops across 63 countries; 95% of company turnover derives from classified growth wines.
• En Primeur (Futures) Trading Annual futures-trading service where clients purchase classified growth wines while still in barrel, participating in the traditional Bordeaux en primeur campaign with substantial allocations and tranched payment (typically one-third upfront, one-third after six months, one-third on delivery); profit margins typically range 15-18% per transaction.
• Wine Storage Services with Provenance in Bond Certification Professional bonded storage across approximately 18,000 square meters of facilities holding 5-6 million bottles at 16°C, including a Provenance in Bond certification system ensuring wine authenticity, traceability and quality for clients between purchase and delivery.
• Joanne Rare Wines (International Fine Wine Distribution) Distribution subsidiary selling more than 100 prestigious international fine wines from Italy, the USA, Chile, Argentina, Australia and Spain (icons such as Masseto, Opus One, Ornellaia, Penfolds) through the La Place de Bordeaux marketplace, typically via a pool of 5-6 négociants per producer brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 million bottles storage capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Jean-Quentin PratscoreOthers · 1 January 2021CEO of Joanne Rare Wines, son of Jean-Guillaume Prats (president of Domaines Barons de Rothschild). Leads the international wine distribution subsidiary handling 100+ non-Bordeaux wines.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CVBG (Compagnie des Vins de Bordeaux et de la Gironde): One of the largest Bordeaux négociants, distributing classified growths and Grands Crus through the Place de Bordeaux to a global trade network. Direct competitor for chateau allocations and international distributor relationships.
• Maison Sichel: Family-owned Bordeaux négociant distributing classified growths alongside an owned-property portfolio. Competes with Joanne for allocations and international fine wine distribution.
• Justerini & Brooks: Fine wine merchant within the Louis Roederer group distributing Bordeaux and Burgundy en primeur globally. Direct competitor for collector allocation relationships.
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Historic UK fine wine merchant combining en primeur allocations, cellared stock, and global distribution to collectors and trade. Closest international analogue to Joanne's négociant-plus-custodian model.
• Borie-Manoux (Château & Compagnie): Bordeaux négociant with deep classified growth allocations and a global trade network, including significant US presence. Comparable scale and Place de Bordeaux business model.
• Maison Dourthe: Established Bordeaux négociant with strong classified growth allocations and an international distribution footprint. Directly comparable in product mix, négociant model and target customer base.
• Corney & Barrow: UK fine wine merchant distributing Bordeaux and international icons to private clients and trade, with bonded storage. Comparable en primeur and cellared-stock proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Sotheby's Wine: Global auction house with a dedicated wine division handling fine and rare bottles at scale. Competes with Joanne for collector demand and provides an alternative trading channel for classified growths.
• Grands Chais de France: Largest French wine group, operating across multiple regions and price points including fine wines via subsidiaries. Overlaps with Joanne in wholesale distribution but at vastly broader scale.

Emerging players

• Bordeaux Index: Digital fine wine trading platform providing live market pricing and direct buyer-to-seller execution. Emerging competitive threat to traditional négociant intermediation, particularly with younger collectors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maison-joanne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maison Joanne