Isabel Estate partners with Shanghai Montrachet to launch in China
New Zealand wine producer Isabel Estate will launch in Mainland China through a partnership with boutique importer Shanghai Montrachet.
Shanghai Montrachet is one of China’s rising boutique importers, focused on the premium on-trade and private clients.
Isabel Estate is part of the premium wine portfolio under Australia’s Endeavour Group, and joins a lineup of regional leaders including Barossa’s Krondorf and Cape Mentelle, one of Margaret River’s five founding wineries.
Endeavour Group announced the purchase of Cape Mentelle from LVMH in 2023 and the winery has since been part of subsidiary Paragon Wine Estate.
Now, brand building agency Nimbility has secured the deal between Endeavour’s Isabel Estate and Shanghai Montrachet.
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Chief winemaker Jeremy McKenzie described the deal as “a strategic step forward for us”. He said: “We’ve seen growing interest from Asian markets in structured, terroir-driven New Zealand wines — and we’re excited to enter China with partners who share our vision for premium positioning and long-term brand building.”
Under this partnership, Shanghai Montrachet will focus distribution through two channels: its Ting Somm Studio, a sommelier-led service team working with high-end restaurants, hotels and chef collaborations, and La Cave de Montrachet, a boutique, omni-channel retail platform catering to collectors and premium consumers.
Arneis Wu, head buyer at Shanghai Montrachet, said: “Isabel Estate offers exactly what our clients are asking for — distinctive wines with character, pedigree, and a clear story. Their Wild Barrique Chardonnay is already making waves on the global stage, and we believe it will resonate powerfully with China’s new generation of collectors, sommeliers, and wine lovers.”
Nichole Mao, partner at Nimbility, called Isabel Estate a “natural fit” for Chinese consumers, with “demand accelerating in China for authentic, premium wines with real provenance”.
She said: “They are producing some of the finest wines in New Zealand today — sustainably grown, expertly crafted, and globally recognised. Shanghai Montrachet’s sommelier-led approach makes them the ideal partner to introduce Isabel to China’s most discerning buyers.”
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