Portraits of winemakers

DOMAINE BARON DE L'ECLUSE, JEAN-FRANÇOIS PÉGAZ: ‘WINES WITHOUT FUSS’.

Overcoming Challenges: Jean-François and Domaine Baron de l’Écluse

“It is by seeing a door close that we learn to open it better afterward.” Jean-François vinified his first cuvée in 2011. Since then, he has been developing distribution channels in Paris and expanding internationally, particularly to China. “I completed a degree in oenology with a focus on wine commerce, so I wanted to deepen my skills. But I learned almost everything on the job: it’s by seeing doors close that we manage to open them better afterward!” reflects the winemaker.

Domaine Baron de l’Écluse: No-Nonsense Wines Accessible to All

Spread over 5.50 hectares in the commune of Odenas, Domaine Baron de l’Écluse is located on Mont Brouilly and produces 20,000 bottles per year. “My vines benefit from a beautiful exposure on slopes favorable to sunlight. I also own a place in the Ecluse terroir, which I am currently converting into a premier cru of Côte de Brouilly,” explains Jean-François.

The Domaine Baron de l’Écluse wine range, consisting of three cuvées, alternates between easy-drinking, supple, fruity wines and more robustly structured wines with a potential aging of around 5 years. “I produce structured mountain wines with a surprisingly good aging potential for Brouilly. But I do not forget the values that govern Beaujolais wines: warmth, welcome, sharing. And above all, I strive to create no-nonsense wines, accessible to everyone, both in taste and price,” emphasizes Jean-François.

“The Riper the Wine, the Better It Is!”

Recently, Jean-François acquired a small parcel of vines in the Héronde terroir with plans to produce a new red wine cuvée, expected to be released next June. “My vines will benefit from a south-facing exposure, which I hope will produce a wine a bit more robust than the others.” What Jean-François values most in his winemaking profession is allowing his grapes to ripen as much as possible and then carefully aging the wines he creates. “I always wait at least a year and a half before putting my wines on sale.”

This approach is also explained by Jean-François’s thorough analysis of his customers’ consumption trends. “People no longer have the means to store wine. Previously, they aged it for us. Today, it’s up to us to do it. Especially in AOC Côte de Brouilly, where wines require at least three years of aging,” notes the winemaker.

Beaujolais Festival and Musical Events

True to the convivial spirit of Beaujolais that Jean-François mentioned earlier, the young winemaker is actively involved in oenotourism. A meeting room at Domaine Baron de l’Écluse regularly hosts company committees. The winemaker also makes his amphitheater available each summer for the Beaujolais Festival, featuring musical performances. “Last year, we hosted a young prodigy pianist.” Throughout the year, Jean-François also offers guest rooms in the house adjacent to the cellars for groups of foreign tourists visiting the estate.