Talks between Maison Pommery & Associés and Henkell Freixenet, which could have resulted in a majority-stake sale of the former to the latter, have ended without agreement after two months.
The negotiations, confirmed at the start of June, have come to “a preliminary end and did not result in an agreement at this stage”, the sparkling wine giant said in a short statement this evening (5 July). However, it added that both parties remain open to the possibility of resuming discussions “at a later stage”.
“Exclusive” talks between the champagne group and Henkell Freixenet’s Henkell International division were expected to focus on a “proposed strategic combination that would include Henkell International becoming a majority shareholder in Maison Pommery & Associés”. The champagne company, which is publicly listed on Euronext Paris and Brussels, set up a committee consisting of independent directors to monitor the discussions.
Maison Pommery consists of four champagne producers – Charles Lafitte, Pommery, Pompadour and Vranken – as well as assets in two other French wine regions and in Portugal’s Douro Valley. As for Henkell Freixenet, the portfolio is dominated by the Henkell German sparkling wine and Freixenet cava brands, although the Germany-headquartered business, which acquired Freixenet in 2018, already has a presence in champagne in the form of Epernay-based Champagne Alfred Gratien.
The pair’s joint statement read: “As of July 31, 2026, the date on which the exclusivity period agreed between the parties expired, Maison Pommery & Associés and Henkell International confirm that the exclusive discussions have now come to a preliminary end and did not result in an agreement at this stage.
“Both companies remain open to the possibility of resuming discussions at a later stage.”
