Domaine Chantal Lescure is/was a 19-hectare domaine to be found in the centre of Nuits St.Georges and it has been announced this week that it has been sold.
The domaine was founded in 1975 by Chantal Lescure and Xavier Machard de Gramont – you may recognise the latter name – Chantal was the aunt of Axelle Marchard de Gramont. Was? Yes, Chantal died 25 years ago.
Chantal was one of 7 siblings and her family came from an industrial background in Dijon, making their fortune by commercialising the pressure cooker in France. The family later diversified into vines. After Chantal died (1996) it was her sons Aymeric and Thibault Machard de Gramont who came to the domaine but it was said that the next generation had little interest in running the domaine, so put someone else in charge to manage it.
The holdings are impressive – 19 hectares – with 1er crus dotted along both the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune – there’s even a little Clos de Vougeot grand cru. The domaine was (later) also an early adopter of organic viticulture, having been certified organic in their vines since 2006 and has been run by François Chavériat.
But now there are new owners, and for a change, it is not a group whose main business is making handbags. The cost of the acquisition hasn’t been released – or yet rumoured as far as I can tell!
Jean-Philippe Girard and Eric Rousseau are the new team in charge. Of course, you will know Eric from his previous life at Domaine Armand Rousseau, but what of Jean-Philippe Girard? He’s from Dijon and has recently stepped down from his own company which he ran for 30 years – working on the technologies associated with wheat, flour and bread. He’s also (still) the head of a development agency that aims to establish of new companies in the community of Dijon.
It seems that François Chavériat will remain in his position. I wish them all success in this!