Les Jamelles, Delaunay Vins & Domaine’s flagship brand and the largest range of varietal wines from the South of France, has launched a new international marketing campaign, Tasteful Encounters highlighting day-to-day drinking moments with this enduringly successful Languedoc brand. A new look and a colour coded philosophy to facilitate consumer choice complete this major brand refresh.
Founded in 1995 after Laurent and Catherine Delaunay, owners of Delaunay Vins & Domaines, moved to the Languedoc from their native Burgundy, Les Jamelles paved the way for consumer-focussed varietal wines from the South of France. Way ahead of their time, the wines embodied the diversity and quality potential of the region where they established a firm foothold deep in the mosaic of Languedoc grape varieties and terroirs.
”Our main aim when we created Les Jamelles has not changed since 1995, in fact it has been reinforced with this new look and philosophy for the brand. Our vision has always been completely focussed on consumers to deliver the style of wines that they want to drink which brings to life the diverse terroirs, grape varieties and conviviality of the Languedoc region. We think our colourful new philosophy and fresh new packing for Les Jamelles will make this even easier for them to discover.” says Catherine Delaunay.
Today around 6 million bottles of Les Jamelles are sold a year in more than 50 countries worldwide. Made from sustainable grapes partly sourced from one of the Delaunay’s three Languedoc vineyards, Domaine du Trésor, Les Jamelles combines freshness, diversity, consistency and quality under the experienced guidance of talented oenologist and olfactory expert, Catherine Delaunay who has been the face of the brand for almost three decades.
The comprehensive new enhancements represent a major turning point in the brand’s history and comprise three core elements; a new philosophy designed to facilitate consumer choice, fresh, colourful new packaging showing the brand’s evolution, steadfast ambition and focus on the different terroirs of the Languedoc, also featuring Catherine Delaunay’s signature for the first time, and last but not least a refreshed and diverse range of 25 varietal wines which still offer the accessible, crowd-pleasing wines made for sharing and exceptional value for money for which Les Jamelles is internationally known.
The colourful new consumer-focussed packaging echoes the brand promise -Tasteful Encounters. Les Jamelles has been shaped by a series of significant encounters over the years; between Catherine and Laurent, between the couple and the Languedoc, between the varietals and the terroirs … and it’s this spirit of getting together which Les Jamelles wines embody and inspire consumers to do the same.
The Tasteful Encounters message highlighting moments in day-to-day life with the brand, was at the heart of a recent major marketing campaign in Canada where Les Jamelles is a top 10 French brand with over 1.3m bottles sold in 2022. The campaign appeared on TV, social and print media resulting in 35 million impressions.
Other leading markets for the brand such as France, the USA, Germany and the Netherlands will also run campaigns to communicate the new packaging and philosophy in the coming months. In the UK, the new look bottles will start to appear in-store in Spring 2024. Les Jamelles has also recently expanded into other countries including Costa Rica and Brazil.
Four new colour-coded aromatic profiles
Four new colour-coded aromatic profiles now define the Les Jamelles range, specifically designed to help consumers identify and then discover other wines in the range that share similar aromatic and flavour profiles. The colours appear on the logos, capsules and boxes of the brand’s contemporary and elegant new packaging, which still retains the distinctive timeless look and feel loved by fans of Les Jamelles the world over.
Fruity – Red wines featuring fresh, fruity flavours that are soft and elegant. Scents of red berries and slight notes of spices, round tannins. Easy drinking, palate pleasing wines.
Wines in this profile: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Grenache
Spicy – Red wines with powerful, complex aromas, notes of red and black fruit underscored by spice. Velvety tannins and good structure. Perfectly balanced aromas and flavours.
Wines in this profile: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Carignan, Mourvèdre
Round – White wines that boast lovely roundness, scents of yellow fruit and floral notes. Sheer delicateness, a palette of aromas and flavours that are harmonious, well balanced and very rich.
Wines in this profile: Viognier, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Marsanne, Gewurztraminer
Crisp – Bright, lively white wines with pleasing freshness and subtle floral scents. Elegant structure complemented by fresh acidity that tantalizes the taste buds.
Wines in this profile: Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Sec, Pinot Gris
Catherine Delaunay says: ”For almost 30 years revealing the true nature of grape varieties through their terroir has been the basis of both my passion and my ambition and I am very excited to see this new evolution of the brand which will be accompanied by the addition of new wines to the range in the coming months to continue the next chapter in the story of Les Jamelles.”
Domaine de Tresor and the Monze winery
A reference for varietal wines from the Languedoc, Les Jamelles is made with sustainably grown fruit coming from their 70-ha vineyard Domaine du Trésor located on the plain around Narbonne, as well as from grapes provided by long-established partner growers. It is then crafted at Delaunay Vins et Domaines’ state-of-the-art winery at Monze in the heart of the Corbières, by Catherine Delaunay and her experienced team of seven winemakers and agronomists.
Catherine’s in-depth knowledge of the region’s grape varieties and terroirs, her expertise around blending and maturation, and her contemporary interpretation of the southern French joie de vivre have defined Les Jamelles’ much loved expressive, balanced, consistent and approachable style over the years, and is undoubtedly the cornerstone of the brand’s successful longevity.
Les Jamelles’ green credentials: Les Jamelles supports the belief that responsible and precise viticulture is necessary for maintaining the balance between the vines and their environment. It is essential for the brand that this approach be shared by their partner growers as well. As with the 70 ha at the Domaine du Trésor, Les Jamelles partner growers and grape suppliers are HEV3 certified, which corresponds to the highest level of certification. The High Environmental Value label (HEV), which is granted by an independent certification body that requires that strict specifications are met, defines the rules of eco-responsible viticulture with an objective of protecting the soil, promoting biodiversity and offering consumers wine produced from grapes grown with respect for the environment. Les Jamelles has also increased its eco-responsibility in terms of packaging. Since 2019, bottle weight has been reduced by 20%, bringing it down from 630 g to 500 g, a reduction that has generated a saving of 470 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The brand’s corks are 100% recyclable corks and its labels are made from recycled paper made of cotton fibres and FSC-certified material.
About Delaunay Vins et Domaines: Makers of branded and estate wines from the Languedoc and Burgundy, created in 1995 by two oenologists, Laurent and Catherine Delaunay, from Burgundian families representing five generations of winemakers and negotiants. Owners of the brands Les Jamelles and Abbotts & Delaunay and the Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon estate in the Languedoc, as well as the house of Edouard Delaunay in Burgundy. Founded in 1893 and specialising in wines from the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, the Edouard Delaunay range now consists of around 50 cuvées from regional appellations to Grands Crus.
About Catherine Delaunay: Catherine Delaunay-Favre’s family have been growers and producers in the Beaujolais for several generations. They own some vineyards in the famous Moulin-a-Vent wine appellation. When she was young, Catherine spent her school holidays helping her father in the vineyards. She studied Science at the University of Lyon and then went to Dijon in order to study winemaking & oenology at the University of Burgundy, where she met with her future husband, Laurent. After her graduation, she started to work in the Beaujolais for two large producers, Piat and then Métairie. In the early 90’s, she joined Laurent and worked for the Delaunay family. She was able to spend a lot of time with her father-in-law, Jean-Marie Delaunay, who was considered as one of the best wine tasters in France, and who taught her his tasting knowledge. She created Badet Clément with Laurent in 1995 and became the winemaker of most of the wines produced by the company, including the famous Les Jamelles wine brand. In 2011, she was voted Female Winemaker of the year by the British magazine Good Housekeeping. Nowadays, Catherine works with a team of 7 winemakers and 2 agronomists who oversee the vineyards and the 4 wineries of the group, and she focusses mostly on the very precise final blends that make Delaunay Vins & Domaine’s wines highly respected in the wine world. Catherine and Laurent live at Chateau de Charmont, the picturesque family house located close to Nuits-St-Georges in Burgundy.