David et Jerome Rebes

“You must have faith to make wine”. Some saying could materialize themselves in a more vivid representation. Chateau l’Ecrin de Couleys, and by extension Chateau Lescot, unique history incarnates that.

Built several centuries ago, this tiny monastery hosted a small number of monks that were self-sufficient, living off polyculture (wine included). They farmed vegetables, fruits, probably had few farm animals, and sustained from their labor and the locals’ charity. As any good religious men should, they made their own wines from humble parcels, with or without knowing about their fantastic terroirs. In the 1820’s, a little over 200 years ago, The Rebes family purchased the estate, continuing the polyculture of their predecessors. The wine produced at the estate was sold to the local cooperative, and never bottled.

In 1988, when Jerome and David’s parents took over the family estate, they stopped practicing polyculture to focus solely on wine farming and bottling it as Chateau Lescot, and initiated distancing themselves from the cooperative. They had 6 hectares of vines and bought an extra 11 hectares leased to other farmers. In 1997, They finished building their cellar and stopped completely working with the cooperative. Meanwhile, David, the eldest of the two sons, invested in a tiny parcel of 20 ares (0.5 acres) adjacent to Chateau Lescot in 1999. He wished to create a wine on par with its premium terroirs. He created Chateau Ecrin de Couleys, micro produced (not even 200 cases a year), with premium farming and winemaking techniques: non-intrusive agricultural approach (no weedkiller and fungicide), small and intensive yield selection, with a long barrel aging. Jerome, the youngest, started working on other famous estates, specializing in vineyard farming techniques. He built himself a solid pedigree that led him to work now as assistant head vineyard technician for one of the most prestigious estates of the left bank: Chateau Mouton Rothschild, in Pauillac. 

In 2015, the mother sold the leased parcels and some of the Chateau Lescot to keep 3.90 hectares. Unfortunately, with her husband passed away, she needed to seize it down. David joined her and they put in common their parcels to operate a 4.50 hectares vineyard. Jerome also joined at that time to supervise the farming, while David primarily leads the winemaking. The estate is too small to provide enough money for full income for the three of them. They operate while still working on the side. David opened a company that provides mechanical services in vineyards, while Jerome still works at Chateau Mouton Rothschild. The Chateau Ecrin de Couleys, their best cuvee, and Chateau de Lescot, crafted with passion, focus on the best farming and winemaking techniques. They do not cut costs down and always work with what they deem best for their wines. The estate was certified HVE in 2021 and validate the quality of their work.

Bravery defines the two brothers, as they chose the long path to their future. Their ultimate goal implies creating full-time jobs for the two of them: they only produce around 2,500 cases average yearly with both labels and will never cut expenses to optimize their craft. It’s a major challenge and they established the steps to pave their way up. In the nearest future, they intend to build a tasting to welcome the public to educate and promote their winery, and the unicity of it. They also invested in clay jars that they incorporate into their Chateau l’Ecrin de Couleys. They wish to always optimize, research, and develop new vinification methods. While they don’t know if their children will take continue the family venture, they wish to hold onto it and develop it so one day, the transition will be natural for everyone.