In the family tree—common for the time—the men passed down the names François and Florent from one generation to the next.
Between the two World Wars, François was succeeded by his son Florent. Like his father, he served as mayor of the village and continued to grow the family business.
During the prosperous 1930s, another François, Florent’s son, took over the reins. He obtained a truck driver’s license in Lyon, invested in the vineyard, and established a strong private customer network in France.
Next, Florent—the representative of the fourth generation—took over the business. With him, the path was opened for what was then a young export market. He traveled to Asia, founded an import company, and vigorously expanded exports.
Then came Marine, Kevin, and François—the fifth generation. With them, production expanded further through the acquisition of
Château de Pougelon in Beaujolais and
Domaine Passy le Clou in Chablis.
The
Château de Pougelon estate, originally composed of vineyards in Beaujolais Villages, was extended to include plots further north in the Crus du Beaujolais—such as Brouilly, Morgon, Fleurie, and Juliénas—as well as further south in the Pierres Dorées region with Beaujolais Blanc.
Domaine Passy le Clou is located in the commune of Beine and spans the appellations of Petit Chablis, Chablis, and Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy.
With the transition to organic farming, agroecology, planting of trees and hedgerows, soil regeneration, and terroir-based, non-interventionist winemaking, the family is setting today’s ecological milestones.
We look forward to a successful and friendly partnership with Marine and the esteemed Descombe family.
