One year into her family’s wine business, Jeanne Delaunay, the sixth generation appointed to steward her family’s legacy in Languedoc and Burgundy, has comfortably settled into her role, transforming Abbotts & Delaunay.
Before joining the family business in 2023, Jeanne embarked on a global journey to hone her skills and broaden her perspective. She gained invaluable experience at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma, worked alongside Thibault Liger-Belair and at the prestigious Romanée-Conti in Burgundy, and refined her craft at the Coldstream Hills Winery in Australia.
The journey of transitioning to the new generation in the wine business is fraught with challenges. In regions like Languedoc, where the market is saturated and profits are slim, many young heirs opt for careers in finance, art, or technology. But for Jeanne, the decision to take the reins of her family’s business and steer the growth of Abbotts & Delaunay was a natural progression.
“My parents never pressured me to join the family business,” Jeanne recalls. “They showed me the world of wine without any expectations. During summers and internships, I worked in the vineyards and the winery, and I realized how much I loved it. It felt right.”
Jeanne’s path was not just paved by familial duty but also by a genuine love for the craft. “There’s so much to learn in winemaking,” she explains. “Every day brings something new, and that’s what fascinates me.”
Her addition to the family business contrasts with many who switched from family path to elsewhere. Speaking of the generational transition facing many family-owned business in regions struggling to pass the baton to their heirs, she highlighted the predicament of two extremes.
“The transition to the new generation is really challenging in the wine business,” she observed. “In France, for example, younger generations often don’t want to take over. In the south of France, in Languedoc, there’s so much wine produced that it’s hard to sell grapes or wine at a profitable price. Children see their parents working hard all their lives with little to show for it, so they don’t want to continue,” she explains.
In contrast, in Burgundy, the sky-high land prices and inheritance taxes compel families to sell parts of their estates just to keep a portion within the family. “These extremes make the generational transition very challenging,” she admits.
Yet, amidst these challenges, Jeanne sees a silver lining. “Many young people, especially women, are joining their family wineries. It’s encouraging,” she says. Her peers, like Guillemette Ferrando, daughter of Isabel Ferrando in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Lola Palacios, daughter of Alvaro Palacios in Spain, are also stepping into their family roles with zeal and vision. “They are both my friends, and they are so passionate,” Jeanne reflects on the younger generation who are driven by passion, not just proximity or tradition.
With Abbotts & Delaunay, the premium wine estate from the Delaunay family in Languedoc, Jeanne is steadfast in her vision. “My goal with Abbotts & Delaunay is to create a Burgundy-style winery in the south of France,” Jeanne explains. The winery has two estates Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon and Domaine de Lause in Corbières. The second estate purchased in 2019 has 10 ha of vineyards but did not produce any bottles until 2023 vintage when it completely transitioned into organic.
“We haven’t produced wine from Domaine de Lause yet because it was not managed and wasn’t organic. During the transition to organic farming, we decided not to produce wine. The first vintage will be 2023,” Jeanne reveals. “We’ll be producing a red and a white Corbières.”
“It’s a small estate, but we want to focus on high-end, single vineyard wines with great acidity and freshness,” Jeanne says.
Jeanne’s vision extends beyond these existing estates. She is on a quest to find special terroirs in Languedoc that can support her dream of creating Burgundian-style wines. “I’m still searching for unique vineyards,” she says. “For example, a vineyard near Collioure, close to the sea and at a certain altitude, could offer a distinctive soil composition and orientation to the sun. These factors are crucial for producing wines that reflect the unique characteristics of their terroir.”
The pursuit though is a meticulous process. “I started looking about six months ago and have found some promising sites,” Jeanne notes. “But it’s an ongoing journey. I want to grow really high-quality wines that highlight the best of Languedoc’s terroirs.”
At this year’s Vinexpo Asia in Hong Kong, Jeanne introduced her first wine released after she was appointed General Manager and Winemaker at Abbotts & Delaunay, a single vineyard 100% Pinot rosé from Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon.
“It’s pretty unique to have a Pinot Noir Rosé from Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon, especially in the south of France,” Jeanne shares. “There’s a bit of Pinot Noir Rosé in Burgundy or Sancerre, but not much in the south. I believe Pinot Noir is one of the best grapes for rosé, capable of producing a gastronomic rosé with good complexity.”
The single vineyard, Les Graves, from which this rosé hails, adds another layer of distinction. “Les Graves means ‘gravel’ in French, indicating a lot of mineral stone in the soil, which imparts significant minerality to the wine,” Jeanne explains. “It’s a single vineyard, which makes it even more special.”
The retail price for this rosé is set at 29.5 euros in France, targeting on-trade and gastronomic scene. “We’re really focusing on restaurants and wine bars,” she adds.
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