Boisset, Eisele, Vin-Go, Icon Wines among top creditors in Montesquieu Chapt 11 & yacht debacle

EDITOR’S NOTE:The original headline for this article contained the phrase “bespoke collection of wines… whicb is not the same as the “Bespoke Collection.” This offers a lesson in branding because the use of a common adjective such as “bespoke” carries many opportunities for confusion.

---

The “Spirit of the East” is still sailing the world, but the Montesquieu group of “bespoke collection” wines from Napa Valley and beyond has capsized and is flailing about for a way to right itself with Chapter 11 filings in the Delaware District of U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

 

Montesquieu Inc., a Delaware Corporation, filed for bankruptcy on March 20 claiming that its business was just fine until  2016 when it paid approximately $2 million for the 100-foot superyacht.

 

Ironically, Spirit of the East had been the subject of a 2014 distress sale, when it had been marked down from $1,949,000 to $1,724,900.

 

The superyacht would later be sold for $5,000 (not a typo).

 

Company CEO and majority owner Fonda Hopkins insists in a March 21 declaration that all will be fine again if they can write off the “Spirit of the East” along with other debt owed to scores of other creditors.

 

“[A]t the current sales levels, a clean, unlevered balance sheet would allow it to restore growth and profitability; and a fresh start would enable it to attract sufficient and appropriate permanent working capital until the new profits are sufficient to sustain the growth of the business that will ensue.”

 

Montesquieu Inc., which Hopkins said in a declaration was a holding company, also filed bankruptcy on behalf of two wholly owned companies (links available for premium subscribers):

 

• Montesquieu Corporation (a California C-Corp) which handled marketing and,
• W.G. Best Weinkellerei (also a a California C-Corp) which was described as the main operating unit. WG Best Weinkellerei also operated using DBAs such as as Montesquieu Winery and Derenoncourt California. Weinkellerei was frequently misspelled in the flurry of bankruptcy filings.

The bankruptcy court has agreed that the three companies will be administered as a single case (Montesquieu Inc.)

 

However, the inability of the Montesquieu debtors to coherently, accurately, and completely describe the operations of the company in their numerous scattered filings begs for a federal trustee to administer the case. Errors, duplications, and circular, self-referential statements plague most filings and make them confusing to anyone but an experienced forensic accountant.

The  full charts and un-redacted article are available to Wine Executive News Premium Subscribers who may  Log-In Here:

• CCBill premium subscribers, please click THIS LINK.

• Stripe premium subscribers, please click THIS LINK.

Also in this 2,008-word article with multiple charts and graphics:

• Underwater by at least $1 million. Some assets are questionable, liabilities may  be mis-stated

• Top 20 Unsecured Creditors mostly in WG Best Weinkellerei — A Roster of Prominent Wine, Shipping & Finance Names from Europe, New York, Napa Valley & Beyond.

• Clawback territory? Hopkins & co-owner Hamlet continued to pay themselves while company tanked

• Who actually owns what? (Hard to know)

• Superyacht Intercompany note = questionable asset

• Funky Dynamo Sales Ltd., Accounting

• Value of “Intangibles Assets” Questionable

• The Superyacht, Hard Money and The Downward Spiral:

• Dynamo Sails and “Spirit of the East” sink the Montesquieu Empire – Excerpts From the April 30 filing

• Yacht sucks funds from Montesquieu – Excerpts From the April 30 filing

• Dynamo fails – Excerpts From the April 30 filing

• Maintenance & Dock Fees demanded – Excerpts From the April 30 filing

• U.S. Marshal Seizes Spirit of the EastSpirit of the East sold at auction for $5,000

• United Bank Wants Its Money – Excerpts From the April 30 filing

• United Bank Raises Issue of Ownership Interests Not Disclosed to Bankruptcy Court

Not a Wine Executive News subscriber?

 Subscribe to Wine Executive News now, and get the rest of this original article along with everything else on the site every day, including original documents, spreadsheets,and source materials for just $29.99 per month or $209 per year