California Winery Sold To Investors

Sonoma Valley’s largest winery will be sold to an investment group looking to expand its California wine portfolio.

Texas Pacific Group and Silverado Partners will buy the Chateau St. Jean winery from Japanese beverage conglomerate Suntory Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. The deal is expected to close by the end of the week, the buyers said.

The deal includes the winery and all of its assets, including more than 200 acres of vineyards owned or leased by Chateau St. Jean in northern California’s Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley.

Chateau St. Jean, based in Kenwood, Calif., sold 270,000 cases of wine last year, 70 percent of it Chardonnay, and had revenues topping $20 million.

Texas Pacific Group, a private investment partnership, entered the wine business in January with its acquisition of Wine World Estates in a joint venture with Silverado Partners, a group of Napa Valley investors.