MAISON JEAN LORON, Beaujolais
Over 300 years (1711 to be precise) and eight generations ago, Jean Loron took a departure from the traditional farming roles of the time and dedicated himself to viticulture in the village of Chénas, in the heart of the steep hills of Beaujolais. Initially, he started vinifying some ‘lieux-dits’ (future Beaujolais ‘climats’) with the aim of obtaining the perfect vines to create superior quality wines. He was something of a revolutionary at the time.
In 1821, Jean’s grandson Jean-Marie, took over the estate and set up the business in Pontanevaux. Over the years, Jean’s descendants have continued the tradition building up great partnerships with some prestigious names in the area. Fast forward to the present, eighth generation, Xavier Barbet is the current owner of the business. Xavier grew up in the area, studied in Dijon and the United States before returning to the region in 1977 to take control of the family business. In 2009, he bought Chateau de Bellevue in Morgon, along with its eight hectares of vines in order to develop parcel-by-parcel vinification, clearly inspired by his ancestor Jean Loron. He also runs an estate in Moulin-à-Vent with his brother Nicolas. Many of the estates such as Chateau de Fleurie and Domaine des Billards (Saint Amour) have been in the family for centuries and recent acquisitions have enhanced the remarkable collection of estates.
Today, Maison Jean Loron manages 10 different estates: three in the Maconnais region of Burgundy, and seven in Beaujolais. In 2016, the management of Jean Loron was passed down from Xavier Barbet to Phillipe Bardet, originally from Beaujolais himself he is an avid connoisseur and advocate of the region. Phillipe is married to a member of the Charlet family, so with this ‘succession’, Maison Jean Loron added the prestigious Domaine Bellenand, located in the heart of Solutré in the Maconnais. This domaine has been in the Charlet family for 4 generations. Additionally, the company owns 350 hectares of estate vineyards and purchases additional fruit from top growers for the value-driven Maison Jean Loron selection of wines. Always looking for innovation, today’s portfolio includes their natural ‘Rift’ wines made without the addition of sulphites from harvest to bottling.
