With the recent launch of a new $300 retail icon wine, Boulder, Kaiken continues to explore the potential for luxury wines from Argentina. Building on the last 15 years of Kaiken's other icon wine, Mai, Anita Correas, Commercial Director, and Gustavo Hormann, Director of Winemaking, discuss the global market for luxury Argentinian wines, how they approach launching them, and the brand-building impacts for the Kaiken brand. 

Detailed Show Notes: 

Kaiken background

• Founded in 2002 by Aurelio Montes (Chile)
• "Kaiken" is the name of a wild goose that crosses between Chile & Argentina
• Exports to 60 countries
• Winery in Vistalba, Mendoza (28ha), vineyards in Agrelo (60ha) & Los Chacayes, Uco Valley (150ha)
• 60% on-premise
• Frances Mallmann restaurant at the winery

Recently launched new luxury tier/icon wine - "Boulder"

• $300 retail price, 3,700 bottles
• Developed over the last 10 years
• Unique 3ha block in Los Chacayes due to overflow of Arroyo Grande, full of big rocks/boulders
• Malbec (64%), Cabernet Franc (28%), Petit Verdot (8%)

Boulder launch plan

• Launched in Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Korea, Brazil (São Paulo, Argentina's #2 export country), US
• Brazil's event had a more direct impact on sales
• Mostly press/trade events that are smaller, in-person
• Likely less on-premise than Kaiken overall, more hand-selling to collectors and Michelin Star restaurants
• VR w/ Google Glass to see the vineyard up close and go inside the soil has gotten positive feedback, but it is more expensive than a regular video (required 3 days of video shoots and a special camera)

Mai - prior icon wine

• $100 retail price, 12,000 bottles
• Launched in 2009 from a 120-year-old vineyard
• Marketing more "maintenance" now
• 2021 - redesigned packaging, got 98 pts and Top 100 from Suckling
• Primarily sold in Argentina, then UK, US, Brazil, Japan

70% of Argentinean wine is consumed domestically, delaying the need for exports

• Average export ~40% higher price than Chile (export-focused market, ½ the population, 2x wine production vs Argentina)
• More high-end wineries in Argentina vs ~5 in Chile

>$100 market for Argentine wine - "not a huge market"

• Big domestic market - much of Mai, Boulder sold domestically
• Consumers looking at super high-end often do not look at the country of origin but more at the concept of the wine
• Value Prop for Argentine luxury wine - not influenced by oceans, high altitude, dessert wines, driven by the Andes

Return on Boulder is more than sales, but brand building for Kaiken

Focused on relationships with importers

• Want long-term relationships as they represent the brand globally
• Reach collectors through import partners
• Has affiliated importer in Argentina

Montes relationship

• Was helpful on launch to piggyback on Montes brand
• Now Kaiken is more independent and only shares importers in a few countries (it used to have the same ones)

Kaiken Ultra ($26) awarded Wine Spectator Top 100 (#30, highest Argentine wine)

• Wine drinkers can graduate from Ultra to Mai and others
• Kaiken's focus for each range of wines is to over-deliver for the price point vs linking the wines

Good press in 2024 for Kaiken - #1 New World Winery from Sommelier Awards, Boulder rated best Argentinian red blend by Patricio Tapai (wine critic), Estate Malbec was Wine Spectator's best value wine

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