Moet Hennessy Acquires Majority Stake in Wen Jun Distillery, a Premium Chinese White Spirits...

PARIS -- Mo[R]t Hennessy, the wines and spirits business of LVMH, the world's leading luxury products Group, announces the acquisition of a 55% equity investment in Wen Jun Distillery, one of China's premium white spirit companies. Jiannanchun, the current owner of Wen Jun Distillery, will hold

Mo[R]t Hennessy's strategy of developing premium wine and spirit brands now extends to the Chinese premium white spirit market, following strong growth in the luxury consumer market in China. Mo[R]t Hennessy will apply its expertise in creating leading luxury brands to its partnership with Jiannanchun and plans to invest in the historic Wen Jun brand as well as in the production facilities.

The Wen Jun Distillery is based in Qionglai in the province of Sichuan in south-west China. This area is well-known for producing high-quality Chinese white spirits due to its excellent weather, water and soil conditions. White spirits have been produced at the Wen Jun Distillery for over 450 years. The name Wen Jun dates back 2,000 years to the time of a Chinese heroine, Zhuo Wen Jun. The stories of Wen Jun and her reputation for creating outstanding white spirits, together with the romantic legends that surround her, are well-known in China.

Christophe Navarre, President of Mo[R]t Hennessy, commented:

"This investment in China's spirits industry signals an important strategic move for Mo[R]t Hennessy as it seeks to contribute to the development of the Chinese premium spirits market. Hennessy Cognac has been distributed with success in China since 1859 and Mo[R]t Hennessy has developed a deep understanding of the Chinese market, which has enabled us to apply our extensive expertise of harnessing and developing premium brands. We look forward to working closely with our partner Jiannanchun to realise the true potential of the Wen Jun brand."

Notes to editors:

LVMH

LVMH Mo[R]t Hennessy Louis Vuitton is the world's leading luxury goods group. The Group is represented in Wines and Spirits by a portfolio of brands that includes Mo[R]t & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Krug, Ruinart, Chateau d'Yquem, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Belvedere Vodka, Chopin, 10 Cane, Chandon, Cloudy Bay, Terrazas de los Andes, Cheval des Andes, Green Point, Cape Mentelle, Newton. Its Fashion and Leather Goods division includes Louis Vuitton, the world's leading luxury brand, as well as Celine, Loewe, Kenzo, Givenchy, Thomas Pink, Fendi, Emilio Pucci, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Berluti, StefanoBi as well as eLUXURY, the authoritative online source for luxury goods on the Internet. LVMH is present in the Perfumes and Cosmetics sector with Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain, Parfums Givenchy, Parfums Kenzo, Perfumes Loewe as well as other promising cosmetic companies (BeneFit Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, Acqua di Parma and Fresh). LVMH is also active in selective retailing through DFS, Sephora in Europe and the United States, Le Bon Marche and La Samaritaine. LVMH's Watches and Jewelry division comprises TAG Heuer, Chaumet, Christian Dior Watches, Zenith, Fred, the prestigious Italian writing instruments company of OMAS and De Beers Diamond Jewellers Limited, a joint venture created with the world's leading diamond group.

Jiannanchun

Jiannanchun is the third largest spirits producer in China and also one of the top three premium spirits brands. It has 6,600 employees, over 3 billion RMB (375 million USD) in assets and enjoys annual spirits revenues of over 2.5 billion RMB (313 million USD). Of the top three spirits producers in China, Jiannanchun is the only private company, having undergone a Management Buy Out in 2004. The Jiannanchun brand has been famous in China for over a thousand years and was the palace tribute spirit during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The Tang Dynasty era is recognized as the period of greatest prosperity in China's history. Jiannanchun's excellent product quality is celebrated throughout China.