Domain
A story of men... and women
1934, Armand and Henriette DUCOU decide to change their lives and sell the family grocery store to settle on nearly 5 hectares of vines at a place called Petit Mangot, at the foot of the hills.
1941, Their daughter Paulette married the wine worker, Jean DÉCAMPS, with whom she continued to exploit the small vineyard, giving birth in 1943 to Françoise, then to Jean-Yves in 1949.
1964, Jean-Yves is 15 years old and has just returned from a year of agricultural training in Angoulême. He will no longer leave the property.
1971, Jean-Yves married Chantal Frigo, the beginning of the 1970s marked the start of bottled sales. Before this date, Paulette and Jean sold exclusively in bulk and on behalf of a single customer. Since 1974, Jean-Yves and Chantal have developed sales at trade fairs, notably the annual Valenciennes fair.
1984, Jean-Yves and Chantal bought 6 hectares in their own name, thus forming almost 10 hectares.
2002, Nadia their daughter takes over management of the farm, always supported by her parents.
2013, David, her husband, changed career paths and joined her to support the development of the field.
A land
In a valley landscape, our vines benefit from an ideal terroir and climate to express themselves at the foot of the south/southeast hillsides, on clay-limestone soils, dominating the Dordogne valley, in the extension of the hills of Saint Emilion.
The exposure of our hillsides allows optimal sunshine for the berries, promoting good maturity.
The appeal of clay-limestone soils lies in the restoration of freshness and humidity to the vine stocks during hot periods, and thanks to the filtering power of limestone, a sufficient supply of mineral elements: freshness and drainage, a dream of winemaker.
2 varieties of red grape varieties
Among the 6 grape varieties authorized in the appellation, Merlot, Cabernet-Franc, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Malbec (also called Cot), Petit-Verdot and Carmenère, we cultivate exclusively:
Merlot (80%):
Flavors of red fruits, cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant... Grape variety used for its beautiful and deep color and softens the wines by giving them all its roundness and fruitiness.
Cabernet-Franc (20%):
Spicy, peppery and toasted notes. This grape variety, very present in Saint Emilion, is used in blending for its contribution of silky and elegant tannins to our great wines for aging.
We also planted a small plot of 2021 acres in Cabernet-Sauvignon in 70 to test this grape variety and bring a little diversity to our next vintages.
CHANTAL AND JEAN-YVES, associated winegrowers
NADIA, managing partner
DAVID, technical and development manager
THOMAS, head of cultivation and cellar master
LEA, business development manager
