2021 Rosé Beaujolais | Famille Florent Descombe

It was the Belle Époque and everyone had faith in the future, François Descombe being the first. In 1905, the Beaujolais native set off for the first time from his village of Saint-Étienne-des-Oullières to deliver barrels of wine to bistros in Lyon. The F. Descombes company was born.

The transport company soon moved into production. Let’s go back over the family tree of this rather unusual epic.

A tree in which the men share the first names François and Florent from one generation to the next. During the inter-war period, François was succeeded by his son Florent. Like his father, he was mayor of the village; like his father, he grew the family business. During the Thirty Glorious Years, it was another François, Florent’s son, who took over. He took his HGV driving test in Lyon… in a HGV! He had known how to drive a lorry for a long time… He invested in the vineyards and created a fine distribution network in France for private customers.

Then Florent, representing the fourth generation, took over. With him, it was time to export. He left for Asia and set up an import company and shops.

Then came Marine, Kevin and François, representatives of the fifth generation. With them came production, with the acquisition of Château de Pougelon, in Beaujolais, and Domaine Passy le Clou, in Chablis.

Domaine du Château de Pougelon, initially made up of Beaujolais Villages vines, has been extended to other parcels further north in the Beaujolais crus, with Brouilly, Morgon, Fleurie and Juliénas, but also further south in the Pierres Dorées region with Beaujolais Blanc.

Domaine Passy le Clou, located in the commune of Beine, covers the Petit Chablis, Chablis and Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy appellations.

Conversion to organic farming, agro-ecology, tree and hedge planting, soil regeneration, parcel-based vinification by cadastral locality and non-interventionist methods. The environmental milestones have been set.