Jonathan Ducourt from Château Jacques Noir
Every year, the Coupe des Crus de Saint-Emilion honors 24 winners.
These men and women work day after day to produce wines that live up to the quality and environmental commitment of Saint-Emilion wines.
Find out more about these properties in Lussac Saint-Emilion, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, Saint-Emilion and Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, as well as the Grands Crus Classés.
Today, Château Jacques Noir is in the spotlight with the portrait of Jonathan Ducourt, one of the members of the Ducourt family who own this property.
2024 Favourites – Château Jacques Noir
Château Jacques Noir
Château Jacques Noir belongs to the Ducourt family, a winemaking family that has been established in the Bordeaux region since the 19th century.
In 2001, the family seized the opportunity to buy the parcels of Jacques Noir, a Saint-Emilion, and began a long process of renovation of the vineyard, located in a single block at the foot of the hillside in the commune of Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse.
Read on as Jonathan Ducourt tells us more about the family history, the special features of this award-winning cru and why they have been taking part in the Coupe des Crus de Saint-Emilion for several years.
What is your role at Château Jacques Noir?
I’m part of a family of winegrowers that has been established in Bordeaux since 1858, so I’m in the 6th generation of the Ducourt family. We’re winegrowers in several Bordeaux appellations, and I’m in charge of selling our wines around the world.
Can you tell us about the property ?
In 2001, we had the opportunity to buy Jacques Noir’s property, as well as another property in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux (Les Demoiselles). Over the last twenty years or so, we’ve been gradually renovating the property. We started by replanting the vineyard, which is one of the main elements in making the wines. Then we built the vinification cellar and later the barrel cellar.
3 words to describe the winning wine ?
If I had to sum up Jacques Noir in 3 words, it would be Merlot, of course. The estate of Château Jacques Noir is a single block of 100% Merlot. I’d also say that this is a wine of great elegance and softness, which is precisely what the merlot gives us.
What makes Château Jacques Noir so special ?
One of the special features of Château Jacques Noir is its geographical location: we are situated at the foot of the hillside, in the village of Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse. The plot of land is next to the winery, so we have a single 5.5 hectare plot planted with Merlot.
This rather warm terroir produces a smooth, fruity wine with a lovely roundness.
What’s unique about your property ?
We mature the wines in our cellars until we feel they are ready to be enjoyed and tasted. In general, we keep the wines for 5 to 8 years before releasing them onto the market, which allows us to have a wine that is still fruity but with some secondary aromas that have already developed and tannins that have softened. This means that if you find a Château Jacques Noir at your wine shop or another retailer, it’s ready to drink straight away. You don’t have to keep it to enjoy it, but you can continue to age it.
When do you recommend tasting your wine ?
The bottles available are therefore already ready to drink. For the moment, I would say that this is a wine that can be enjoyed during the weekend, over a simple meal with friends or family. The idea is to share a convivial moment while discovering the aromas of a good bottle of a Saint-Emilion wine.
What dish would you recommend drinking your wine with ?
With a good barbecue, cheese platter or charcuterie … It’s easy to enjoy a Château Jacques Noir with a simple dish.
Why did you take part in the Coupe des Crus?
Well, we take part in the Coupe des Crus de Saint-Emilion every year, because it’s an interesting challenge that allows us to compare ourselves with the other wines in our appellation, to see how we stand and what the jury of enlightened wine lovers and industry professionals think.
How does it feel to be one of the 24 Coups de Coeur ?
It’s obviously a source of great pride for us, for the family, but also for our teams who have worked so hard since taking over the estate in 2001. So we’re delighted to be regularly rewarded and to have won this Coup de Coeur again!
Find out more about Château Jacques Noir
At the Maison du Vin de Saint-Emilion or on their online shop !