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Jean B Jaunay
| François M Jaunay |
Louis B Jaunay | Frank
C Jaunay | Robert JC Jaunay
| Frank JC Jaunay
Louis Brunet Jaunay 1816–1887
 A
small marque The story of Louis Brunet Jaunay 3
His holdings at Aÿ should have given Louis Brunet an
outstanding source of top quality grapes independent of
the vignerons. In normal business practice this would have
been considered a very astute, if un-champagne like, move.
Unfortunately this investment was also to play a role in
the demise of L Jaunay & Co. as the disease, phylloxera,
had arrived from California and was threatening
to devastate the vineyards of Champagne in the late 1880s.
Strangely enough the phylloxera blight did not arrive
until
late in the century but the vineyards had to cope with a
new disease which arrived with the phylloxera free
vines from the United States. Planosphora viticola, or plain
mildew was imported with the new stock and reached the Champagne
area in 1885 and while not as devastating as phylloxera
was to be, it certainly took its toll on the growers of
the day.
The short Franco-Prussian War from 19 July to the surrender
of Napoléon III and the army on 2 September and the
final lifting of the siege on Paris by its capitulation
in the following January was not witnessed by Annie who
died in April 1870 at the age of 47 years. Louis Brunet
wrote to his sister in June 1871 after a business trip to
Germany and reported on the repatriation of French prisoners
of war and the associated German victory celebrations as
the occupying troops came home following the implementation
of the severe treaty terms imposed on the country which
saw the neighbouring Alsace and Lorraine districts lost
to Germany. The whole of France was in mourning over the
humiliation and citizens corresponded in black bordered
paper.
After Anne's death in April 1870 from
of breast cancer, Louis sold Association Vinicole de Champagne
and formally founded his own House, L Jaunay & Co, which
he established in rue de la Justice at Reims while he lived
in 10 rue de la Grue.
In his final years, Louis almost lost his sight to cataracts.
An operation at Metz was unsuccessful. He spent several
winters at Nérac in the warmer south-west region
of France.
Louis Brunet [pictured in 1868] died at the Krug home, 1 rue Coquebert
on 9 March 1887 shortly after handing control of the business
to his elder son, Frank, who had married within the last
six years and thus fulfilled his father's requirement and
had joined the company in a management role.
Both sons migrated to Australia. The younger, leading the
way and living in Melbourne, Sydney and Amberley and Frank
Cunningham followed in 1894 to South Australia.
End
Adapted and updated from: Graham Jaunay, Première
Qualité. The story of the Jaunay family in the 19th
century, Adelaide 1994
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