Yesterday, Henri and Isabelle Lurton received the members of the ‘Crus Classés de Margaux’ group for a tasting of their ‘2008 favorites,’ followed by a gastronomic dinner and a superb vertical tasting of Brane.

In the morning, and according to tradition, each property had offered one of its favorite vintage blends for tasting or a sneak preview of the blend that would be presented as futures in a few weeks…

The 2008 is promising to be rich and highly aromatic and offer an excellent structure. For some, it evokes the 1986.

With the dinner orchestrated by Monblanc, Henri Lurton had chosen a few superb gems… Brane-Cantenac 1995, 1989, 1986, 1983, 1966 and 1959... The final big surprise was the 1928, for the utter delight of the guests! Some of them had never tasted such an old wine…

The people sitting at our table were thrilled to have the exceptional opportunity to taste these magnificent wines. John Kolasa, from Château Rauzan-Ségla, admired the pre-1980s vintages, both for their elegance and for their excellent freshness. It's true that the 59 tickled the taste buds with surprising menthol aromas! It didn’t at all resemble a 50-year-old wine… Jacques Pelissier from Château Giscours and Château du Tertre, who shared his memories from Margaux, fittingly remarked that ‘It’s rare to be able to taste 7 Brane vintages with people from the region’… And his right-hand man, Didier Foret, added, ‘Especially for a vertical tasting with a dinner’…

As time passed, people’s tongues loosened up and a variety of topical subjects were addressed…it goes without saying that article 24 was the subject of much conversation, not to mention Robert Parker and his influence on the entire region…

Gonzague Lurton, from Durfort-Vivens, thanked his brother for this exceptional evening and Henri paid homage to their father Lucien who had contributed the wines and had made most of them.

From now on, Jean-Luc Zuger, from Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry, will take on the group’s leadership, replacing Jean-Pierre Hugon, who has retired. As John Kolasa suggested, it would be a good idea to ‘move' the group to other regions (on the Right Bank in Canon for example) or to other countries, and even possibly to invite foreign wine-makers. This rich idea would reinforce the opinion that Bordeaux isn’t that self-centered!