We left the right bank, crossed the Dordogne river and went to the Entre-Deux-Mers region. We visited one of the so-called “Petits Châteaux” and realized that there are excellent wines made in Bordeaux by many of the not so known châteaux.
The average wine searcher price for Château Reynier, Appellation
Entre-Deux-Mers, is US$ 13. Château Reynier is one of the hundreds and
hundreds of so-called petits châteaux in Bordeaux that produce excellent
wines for little money. These petits châteaux can struggle to make
their voices heard on the market.
In the case of Château Reynier, it is a bit different, because the
estate is owned and run by Marc and Agnès Lurton. The Lurtons are
Bordeaux’s first family, at the helm of scores of châteaux across the
region and, increasingly, the world.
Marc Lurton was our host.
We started the visit with a vineyard walk that ended at the underground
wine cellar where the wines are aged. We went back to the chai, where
Marc gave us a university-style presentation with a white board on how
his wines are produced. The visit ended with a tasting.
Château Reynier, Appellation Entre-Deux-Mers
Château Reynier, together with Château Bouchet and Château Tour de Boisset, has 99 acres of vineyards on clay-limestone slopes and is owned and managed by Marc and Agnès Lurton, descendants of a great Bordeaux wine making and wine merchant family.
Marc’s grandfather bought the estates in 1901.
When Marc – an œnologist trained at Bordeaux University - inherited the
estate in 1997 he undertook major improvements: modernization of the
wine making facilities, investment in bottling line and labelling
equipment, installation of a system to protect the vine from frost in
the spring, installation of natural waste-water treatment plant,
restoration of the underground stone quarries for ageing the wine in oak
barrels, replanting the vines to bring them up to date with modern
norms, a work that continues until today. In 2012 Marc started working
towards organic certification for a part of the vineyard.
Welcome
Unravelling the Dynasty
Stephen Brook August 21, 2008
The Lurtons are Bordeaux’s first family, at the helm of scores of châteaux across the region and, increasingly, the world.
Whenever a member of the Lurton family is joined in matrimony, you can
be certain that there will be a swift issue of children – sometimes as
many as ten of them. That, and the family’s ardent Catholicism,
explains the ubiquity of this family across the face of Bordeaux,
especially since most Lurtons have pursued careers in the wine
business. They are everywhere: in Margaux and Moulis, in Pessac-Léognan
and Sauternes, in the Entre-Deux-Mers. Between them, they own some
800ha (hectares), and have created their own distribution systems for
the wines. In the beginning there was Léonce Récapet, who wasn’t a
Lurton at all and was a distiller by trade. His daughter Denise married
François Lurton. She died young, in 1934, and her father outlived her,
dying at a ripe old age in 1943. Before her death she had given birth
to four children: André (born in 1924), Lucien (1925), Simone, (1929),
and Dominique (1932). Simone and her children played nopart in the wine
business, but her three brothers emphatically did.
Vineyard Tour
Bordeaux Pioneers
André Lurton was born at the grand family base of Château Bonnet at
Grézillac in the northern reaches of the Entre-Deux-Mers, and it
remains his home.
When I stayed there almost 20 years ago, its interior appeared scarcely
altered since the 19th century, and André seemed to like it that way.
Over the years he developed Bonnet into a very large estate
specifically geared to produce substantial quantities of wine at a fair
price. The white in particular is a dependable staple on Bordeaux wine
lists. The octogenarian has never fought shy of innovation, and
introduced screwcaps for Bonnet’s white wines when most other producers
were gasping with horror at the suggestion. But his real achievement
lies elsewhere, in the northern Graves. Here he acquired a number of
properties, notably La Louvière, Rochemorin and Couhins-Lurton, which
he renovated. In 1965, when he bought La Louvière, the Graves was
something of a backwater with just a few properties (Haut-Brion, La
Mission Haut-Brion, Haut-Bailly, Domaine de Chevalier, and Carbonnieux)
widely known. André was well aware of the exceptional terroir of this
area; the finest wines had always come from the north, and he
campaigned long and hard to unite its properties under a new
appellation. With fierce determination, he fought many legal objections
and tribunals until 1987, when the new Pessac-Léognan AC came into
being. All the classified growths of the Graves lie within its
boundaries. He also waged war against an urban development that would
have led to the destruction of hundreds of hectares of vineyards. The
Pessac-Léognan appellation has thrived, and the vineyards have expanded
from a mere 500ha to their present 1,500ha. André was also hired to
manage Dauzac in Margaux and he and his daughter Christine Lurton-De
Caix have transformed this once obscure property into a source of
excellent, and – for a classified growth – inexpensive wines. André
Lurton is feisty and combative. He may not be universally loved in
Bordeaux, but he is universally respected, and the other proprietors of
Pessac- Léognan are well aware of how much they owe to his vision and
tenacity. Back in the 1920s, François Lurton had bought Brane-Cantenac
in Margaux and a sizeable share in Château Margaux, which he later
exchanged for Clos Fourtet in St-Emilion. After his death in 1971, his
four children inherited his properties, and the Margaux estates went to
Lucien Lurton, who lived at Brane- Cantenac. He was soon acquiring
other properties: Durfort-Vivens and Desmirail in Margaux, Bouscaut in
the Graves, Climens and Doisy-Dubroca in Barsac, and more besides.
Lucien was an efficient steward of his portfolio, but the estates were
run on commercial lines, with many of the vineyards machine-harvested
and cropped at yields higher than would be considered acceptable today.
Nonetheless at some properties, such as Climens, the highest standards
were maintained.
Tour of the Barrel Cellar
Weighty Inheritance
In 1992, when in his late sixties, Lucien chose not only to retire but
hand over the running of his estates to his 10 children. Edwige Lurton
is co-owner of Brane-Cantenac, a Margaux classed growth run by her
brother Henri, who isa trained oenologist. Since the late 1990s the
quality of its wines has soared. Third growth Desmirail was turned over
to Denis Lurton, who has also overseen considerable improvements in
quality, even though the wines are little known. Marie-Laure Lurton,
also an oenologist, looks after Villegorge (Haut- Médoc), as well as two
other properties, Duplessis in Moulis and La Tour de Bessan in
Margaux. Quality remains sound rather then exceptional at this trio,
but she has the least interesting terroirs. Gonzague Lurton inherited
Margaux second-growth Durfort-Vivens. The property was in poor shape
and it has been a lengthy task to restore its cellars and its
reputation. The wine is controversial, as Gonzague insists on making it
in a restrained, elegant style. He is the most reserved, even shy, of
the siblings, but holds strong views on such issues as the probity of
tasting samples during en primeur week, and isn’t afraid to express
them.
While president of the Margaux Syndicat, he spearheaded the campaign
against a new super-highway that would have vandalised the vineyards of
Margaux. Plans for the new road have now been shelved. As for his
wine, in some years Durfort-Vivens can be undernourished and it has yet
to seem entirely worthy of its exalted secondgrowth status. (Gonzague
married into another Bordeaux dynasty, the Merlauts, and his wife
Claire Villars runs her own portfolio of fine properties: the two
classified growths of La Ferrière in Margaux and Haut-Bages-Libéral in
Pauillac, as well as La Gurgue in Margaux.) Lucien’s daughter Brigitte
Lurton moved into Bouscaut in what became Pessac-Léognan, and also ran
Climens. Family disputes in the 1990s led to her departure and she
subsequently moved to Spain to pursue new interests in the Rueda
region. Her sister Sophie Lurton- Congombles took over Bouscaut and she
and husband Laurent Congombles have been steadily improving the
quality of what used to be rather lean, pinched whites and red.
Meanwhile the youngest of the siblings, Bérénice Lurton, took over at
Climens. Despite her youth, she has proved fanatical in her devotion to
the property, crafting the wine barrel by barrel and successfully
increasing prices so as to allow her to pursue a perfectionist course
in the vineyard as well as winery. Until very recently, she was also
the owner of the medieval Château de Camarsac in the Entre-Deux-Mers,
where she produced agreeable and inexpensive red wines. Today the
property is being run by her brother Thierry, who has relinquished his
share in Brane-Cantenac. Finally, there are two properties run by the
most eccentric of the Lurton siblings, Louis. He used to make the wines
at Bouscaut and is now responsible for the tiny Barsac second growth
of Doisy-Dubroca and for Haut-Nouchet in Pessac-Léognan, both farmed
organically. I find the wines inconsistent, indeed highly irregular
both in quality and style. But Louis Lurton pursues his own path,
unfazed by adverse criticism.
Tour of the Tank Cellar
Branching Out
The youngest of François Lurton’s children, Dominique, has handed over
his properties in the Entre-Deux-Mers to two of his four children. Marc
Lurton runs Château Reynier, not far from Château Bonnet; its wines
are sound and reliable. Marc’s brother Pierre lives at Château
Marjosse, which produces decent, unspectacular and fairly priced wines.
Pierre used to run Clos Fourtet in St-Emilion in the 1980s, but is now
better known as the genial, astute director of two first growths:
Cheval Blanc and Yquem. When he gets up in the morning, he jokes, he
must decide whether to turn left or right when leaving his driveway,
all depending on whether his presence is needed more at Cheval Blanc or
Yquem. By the time business mogul Bernard Arnault of LVMH, acquired
Yquem in 1999, Pierre Lurton was already working for him as the
experienced director of Cheval Blanc, so it seemed obvious to Arnault
that he should run the newly acquired first growth as well. The
development of the Mendoza joint venture, Cheval des Andes, has been
another of his responsibilities. Pierre, following Lurton tradition,
has six children waiting in the wings. His professional life is as
hectic as his family life, requiring constant travel and promotion of
these great wines. His uncle André has set an even more fecund example,
with a total of seven children, mostly daughters who are not involved
in the wine business. His sons Jacques and François probably felt there
were already too many Lurtons in Bordeaux, especially their formidable
father, so in the 1980s they carved a career for themselves as flying
winemakers, with Jacques taking care of production and François looking
after sales. Soon they began buying vineyards and building wineries
and, by the early 2000s, were operating on a large scale in many parts
of the world. In Mendoza, they were one of the first wineries to open
in the outstanding Uco Valley, where their flagship wines are Gran
Lurton Cabernet and Piedra Negra Malbec; in Toro, north of Madrid,
their bodega has released a series of rich fleshy red wines; in Chile
their Araucano estate produces superband costly Carmenère. But in 2007
Jacques left the company, which was renamed Domaines François Lurton.
Jacques now runs his own properties in Australia and Entre-Deux-Mers
and is acting as an exclusively white-wine consultant to a few estates
that interest him. Family is the link between the Lurtons, yet they
seem surprisingly different. François Lurton may be a chip off the old
block, but if you saw Henri, Gonzague, and Sophie in the same room, you
would not immediately suppose they were siblings. What they have in
common is not just DNA but an immersion in wine from an early age. The
Lurtons, of whatever generation, are not dabblers or dilettantes. Wine
matters to them – and we are all their beneficiaries.
Tasting
Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
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The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France
What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France
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Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux – A Short Introduction
Dinner with a View: At Restaurant L’Estacade in Bordeaux City - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City - An Update
Schiller’s Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France - An Update
Tour and Tasting at Château La Conseillante, Appellation Pomerol - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour and Tasting at Château La Conseillante, Appellation Pomerol, with General Manager/ Winemaker Marielle Cazaux - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France
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Lunch at Restaurant L’Atelier de Candale in Saint-Laurent-des-Combes - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour and Cellar Tasting at Tertre-Rôtebœuf with Owner/ Winemaker François Mitjavile, Appellation Saint-Emilion - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France
Vineyard Tour in a Golf Cart and Tasting at Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, Premier Grand Cru Classé, Appellation Saint-Émilion - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Winery Tour and Tasting at Château Dassault with the Managing Director, Grand Cru Classé, Appellation Saint-Émilion - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Gourmet Wine-pairing Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Couvent des Jacobins, Grand Cru Classé, Appellation Saint-Émilion - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France
3 Days and Nights in the Spectacular Medieval Town of Saint-Émilion - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour, Lecture and Tasting at Château Reynier with Owner/ Winemaker Marc Lurton, Appellation Entre-Deux-Mers - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château Coutet, Premier Grand Cru Classé, Appellation Sauternes, with the General Manager - Bordeaux Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Lunch at Restaurant L’Entrecœur in Preignac - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, FranceWinery Tour and Tasting at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Grand Cru Classé Appellation Pessac-Léognan - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Visit and Tasting: Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Lunch at Restaurant Le Bord d’Eau in Fronsac - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Winery Tour and Tasting at Château de la Rivière, Appellation Canon-Fronsac - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Lunch at Pinasse Café, Cap Ferret, Bassin d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Lunch at Pinasse Café, Cap Ferret/ Bassin d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2019, France
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Restaurants in Arcachon and Cap Ferret (Bassin d'Arcachon/ Bordeaux)
L’Herbe: Visit of an Oyster Farmer - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Oysters
in Bordeaux: Visiting the Oyster Farmer Raphael Doerfler and his
Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm in Grand Piquey/ Bassin
d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2019, France
Winery Tour and Vertical Tasting at Château Cos d’Estournel, Appellation Saint-Estèphe, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, Appellation Saint-Estèphe - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
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Lunch at La Maison d’Estournel in Saint-Éstèphe - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Phélan-Ségur in Saint-Éstèphe, with Winemaker Fabrice Bacquey - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Phélan-Ségur, with General Manager Véronique Dausse and Winemaker Fabrice Bacquey - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2019, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Ferrière, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, Appellation Margaux - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, FranceWinery Tour and Tasting at Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, Appellation Pauillac, with Nicolas Glumineau, Managing Director - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Wine-pairing Lunch at Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, Appellation Pauillac, with Nicolas Glumineau, Managing Director - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Massive (16 Vintages) Tasting of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande with MD/ Winemaker Nicolas Glumineau and Panos Kakaviatos in Washington DC, USA
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Wine-Pairing Lunch at Château Pichon Longueville Baron in Pauillac - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017 France
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Tour 2022 by ombiasy
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Lunch, Tasting and Tour at Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Natalie Schyler - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Sophie Schÿler, Owner of Château Kirwan, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, for a Wine Pairing Luncheon at Evo Bistro in McLean, with the Wines of RdV and Clemens Busch, USA/ France/ Germany
Dinner in the Private Quarters of the Château Bouscaut, Grand Cru Classé
de Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, with Owner Sophie Lurton
Cogombles and Winemaker/ Owner/ Husband Laurent Cogombles
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