Château Pédesclaux: The Jugla Family
The fermage system is France’s most common form of agricultural lease of land, whereby a landlord allows another to work the land, in the case of viticulture tending the vines, then harvesting and vinifying the fruit, in return for a share of the profits. In ancient times it might be that the landlord was paid in produce, particularly wine, but clearly in more modern times the arrangement is much more likely to be purely financial, the rent set depending on the vineyard, based on everything from soil type to yields. Thus Lucien Jugla worked the vineyards of Pédesclaux in this manner for twenty years, before he took the option to buy in 1950, and the Jugla family settled in as proprietors for what remained of the 20th century.
The vineyard expanded considerably during this time, especially with the addition of 13.7 hectares of vineyards from Château Belle-Rose (which Lucien Jugla had been managing since 1943) in 1960. This was a significant acquisition, and not just because of the vineyards; the estate also came with an elegant château (pictured), dating from 1755, and this was adopted by the Pédesclaux estate as its new home. When Lucien died in 1965 his eldest son Bernard Jugla took on responsibility for the estate. He continued his father’s programme of expansion, adding Château Colombier-Monpelou to the portfolio in 1970. Bernard remained in charge until 1996 when he passed the responsibility for the running of the estate to other Jugla family members.
