Lundi, Henri Lurton ouvrait ses portes au monde viticole de 'down under' en recevant Steve Smith, MW, directeur de Craggy Range, une winery de la région de Gimblett Gravels, située dans l'est de l'île du Nord de la Nouvelle-Zélande! Dans le cadre de nos dégustations 'extra-ordinaires' et sur une idée de Ch'ng Poh Tiong, écrivain et journaliste du vin, éditeur de The Wine Review, et de Steve Smith, nous avions convié voisins, amis et collègues à déguster 6 vins présentés dans 3 millésimes différents...

Une rencontre très intéressante, tout comme celle avec les Californiens reçus il y a deux ans.

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On Monday, Henri Lurton opened his doors to the wine-making world of Down Under to host Steve Smith, MW, director of Craggy Range, a winery from the Gimblett Gravels region, located in the eastern part of the North Island of New Zealand! In the framework of our ‘extraordinary’ tasting sessions and on the initiative of Ch'ng Poh Tiong, wine writer and journalist, publisher of The Wine Review, and Steve Smith, we invited neighbors, friends and colleagues to taste 3 different vintages of 6 wines.

The event was truly interesting, just like the one that had been organized with Californians two years before.

Once again, Brane showed that Margaux and Bordeaux don’t rest on their laurels, that their producers are open-minded and not self-centered, that they are perfectly aware of the impact of global competition and that they are always curious about what's happening elsewhere in the world with their same grape varieties...A discreet but often cutting-edge property, Brane is constantly changing and instigating change...The next meeting? What not great Tuscan wines?

The Bordeaux owners in attendance reacted enthusiastically...starting with Henri Lurton, who made the following statement at the end of the tasting:

“Delicious wines…with freshness, a solid structure and a marked vintage effect. Very pure.’

Here is a series of comments from our guests noted right after the tasting:

‘Wonderful tasting! Remarkable 2007, great balance, finesse, harmony and complexity.’ Nathalie Schÿler, Château Kirwan, Margaux

‘A tasting of great New Zealand wines in Margaux…A welcome and enriching experience, with a shared objective, the quest for balance, in a different reality.' Jean- Emmanuel Danjoy, Château Clerc Milon-Rothschild

‘A unique opportunity to taste an impressive sampling of red wines from New Zealand. Some of them are fine, balanced, racy and elegant wines.’ Christophe Labenne, Château Poujeaux

‘Great red Bordeaux grapes, adapted to New Zealand’s territory by talented wine-makers. A fantastic idea that should be repeated as soon as possible! Thanks, Henri.’ Vincent Priou, Château Beauregard

‘An impressive tasting where we discovered the Cabernets and gravel of Gimblett in New Zealand which will delight connoisseurs.’ Anne Cuvelier, Château Léoville Poyferré

‘Wine-makers with character from New Zealand who showcase the country’s original nature by producing wines characterized by unexpected complexity and subtlety. Their wines are not competitors but rather ambassadors, as they express the classical academic bases which are harmony and balance and yet don't get caught up in excess to give an illusion of quality. Conclusion – Just like their rugby, they defend life’s core values!’ Jean Claude Berrouet, Château Pétrus

‘A fabulous tasting of Kiwi wines…Elegance, balance, wonderfully pleasant wines…We’re looking forward to sharing our own wines Down Under!’ Philippe Blanc, Château Beychevelle

‘We loved this tasting featuring this region in New Zealand. It was interesting to note that terroir is just as important there and that all the vintages are different. I found the 2000 wines to be fresh and well balanced. We had a wonderful time and we look forward to enjoying our next bottle of Gimblett Gravels!'  Lilian Barton-Sartorius, Château Léoville Barton

The Bordeaux attendees’ three favorite wines in the district of Gimblett Gravels

Number 1: 2009 CRAGGY RANGE ‘SOPHIA’

Number 2: 2007 CRAGGY RANGE ‘THE QUARRY’

Number 3: CHURCH ROAD ‘TOM’ 2007 AND CRAGGY RANGE 'SOPHIA' 2007

In attendance for this journey to the other side of the globe:

Domaines Rothschild: Mr. Georges Alnot and Mr. Yann Buchwalter

Château Palmer: Thomas Duroux

Château Léoville Barton: Lilian Barton

Château Langoa Barton: Michel Sartorius

Château Carbonnieux: Eric Perrin

Château Léoville Poyferré: Anne Cuvelier

Château Léoville LasCases: Tamara McIntosh

Château La Conseillante: Bertrand Nicolas

Château Coutet: Aline Baly

Château Dauzac: Christine Lurton

Château Giscours: Alexander Van Beeck

Château La Tour de Bessan: Marie-Laure Lurton

Château Poujeaux: Christophe Labenne

Château Beauregard: Vincent Priou

Château Beychevelle: Philippe Blanc

Château d’Angludet: Allan Sichel

Château Pichon Baron, Petit Village, Suduiraut etc.: Christian Seely

Château Clerc Milon-Rothschild: Jean Emmanuel Danjoy

Château Calon-Ségur: Vincent Millet

Château Lafon Rochet: Mr. Basile Tesseron and Mr. Lucas Leclerc

Château Kirwan: Nathalie Schyler

Château Pétrus: Mr. Berrouet

Château Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande: Gildas d’Olone

Château d’Angludet: Allan Sichel

Eric Boissenot, oenologist

Mr Viaud, oenologist (Michel Rolland’s lab)

Laurent Ehrmann, merchant, Barrière Frères

Yann Jestin, broker

Philippe Chatonnet,  Université de Bordeaux

 Press members: Jane Anson, Decanter.com (press)

Thibault Reichell and Alain Aviotte, Planet Vins et Spiritueux (press)

Guy Charneau, Tast (press)

Captions:

Steve Smith, from Craggy Range and Henri Lurton, owner of Brane-Cantenac

Ch'ng Poh Tiong, wine writer and publisher of the Wine Review

Christophe Capdeville, Technical Director at Brane serving Craggy Range

Florent Cillero, our cellar manager, serving Craggy Range

Monique Cocureau and Maria Martinez Ojeda serving Tom

Ch'ng Poh Tiong and Steve Smith surrounding Jean Claude Berrouet from Pétrus

Jane Anson, Decanter.com, taking notes

Docteur Nicolas, La Conseillante and Eric Perrin, Carbonnieux

Alain Aviotte, journalist, Michel Tesseron, Lafon Rochet and Thibault Reichell, Planet Vins

Lilian Barton, Léoville Barton and Alexander Van Beech, Giscours and DuTertre

Vincent Millet, Calon Ségur, Paul Chatonnet, Université de Bordeaux and Eric Boissenot, oenologist

 Nathalie Schuler, Kirwan, and Marie Laure Lurton, la Tour de Bessan

Georges Alnot, Domaines Rothschild, Mr. Viaud, oenologist (Michel Rolland Lab) and Yann Buchwalter, Clark

Christine Lurton Dauzac and Henri Lurton ...first cousins!

Nathalie Schyler and Guy Charneau, Tast

Laurent Ehrmann, Barrière Frères

Jean Emmanuel Danjoy, Clerc Milon Rothschild

Steve Smith and Gildas D'Olone from Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Philippe Blanc from Beychevelle, and Nathalie Schyler, Kirwan...

Brane, mercredi matin 8:45 am, nous accueillions la réunion annuelle du 'Board of Governors' de la Commanderie de Bordeaux aux USA. Tables en U style salle de classe, rétroprojecteurs, petit café et viennoiseries...tout y était pour rappeler qu'il s'agissait d'un meeting sérieux, en dépit du cadre un peu plus champêtre que de coutume. Une visite du chai avec Henri Lurton suivie d'une belle dégustation des 2009, 2008 et 2007 ont précédé un déjeuner dans la salle de dégustation.

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At Brane, on Wednesday morning at 8:45 am, we hosted the annual meeting of the ‘Board of Governors’ of the Commanderie de Bordeaux from the US. Classroom-style U-tables, overhead projectors, coffee and pastries... the event was presented so as to remind the participants that it was a serious meeting, in spite of the setting that was slightly more rustic than usual. A visit of the cellar with Henri Lurton followed by a fine tasting of the 2009, 2008 and 2007 preceded a luncheon in the tasting room.

After tasting a very young Fourcas-Hosteins 2009, brought by Peter Sichel, the forty-member group enjoyed a Brane 2004 with the starter, then a Brane 2000 with a delicious lamb ‘charlotte,’ and to finish, a superb Brane 95, a perfect pairing for cheese.

Some speeches were given, a few announcements were made, and then an extravagant gift (a decanter from Tiffany’s) was given to Henri Lurton by Angus Smith who had organized everything just wonderfully...before the group got on a bus for the next leg of their tour: their program was packed! But they seemed to have been pleased with their meeting and happy to have had the pleasure of talking to Henri in person while discovering his wines.

We must do this again soon!

Le bureau était sans dessus-dessous, Henri Lurton vissé au téléphone, le chai entrain d'être réaménagé, les barriques d'être installées pour les vendanges...et les serpillères séchaient dans le cuvier...piètre tableau... mais malgré la grisaille et l'ambiance survoltée de la sortie des primeurs, nous avons eu un plaisir fou à recevoir l'équipe de Simple, accompagnée comme chaque année par Bisso Atanassov...

Un groupe formidable et drôle de bons connaisseurs qui ont apprécié la région en général, ses vins en particulier et leurs visites dans plusieurs propriétés magnifiques. Ils termineront leur escapade bordelaise demain au Cap Ferret ... chez un ostreiculteur! Nous leur souhaitons beau temps pour apprécier la beauté de notre cher Bassin d'Arcachon....

Le groupe, cette année, était composé de Marina Ageeva, pdg de nombreux restaurants à Kaliningrad, de Dimitri Dulenin, directeur du Sheremetyevo Park Hotel, de Sergey Romanov, de Vladivostok, et propriétaire de restaurants, de Denis Borodin, lui aussi de Vladivostok et directeur régional pour Simple.  Du Tatarstan est venu Yakov Tseinshtein, propriétaire de la société 'Galerie du Vin' et d'oenothèques nombreuses. Et enfin de Moscou, nous accueillions Kirill Sannikov, Natalya Rapoport et Bisso, bien sûr, tous de Simple à Moscou.

Grâce aux traductions de Bisso, nous avons pu échanger impressions et quelques fous rires très détendants pendant cette période particulièrement difficile qu'est celle des primeurs. Monsieur Laurent Ehrmann, bien qu'assez tendu, nous a fait le grand plaisir de les accompagner quelques heures... entre deux prises de position!

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The office was in total disarray, Henri Lurton was glued to the phone, the cellar was being rearranged, barrels were being installed for harvest season…and floor cloths were drying in the vat-room…what a mess…but in spite of the dull weather and the overexcited atmosphere that was reigning over the primeurs release, we were absolutely delighted to host the Simple team which, like every year, was accompanied by Bisso Atanassov.

This remarkable, entertaining group of top connoisseurs appreciated the region in general, its wines in particular and their visits of several outstanding properties. Their tour of the Bordeaux region will end tomorrow in Cap Ferret…where they will visit an oyster farmer! We hope the weather is nice so that they can properly appreciate the beauty of our beloved Arcachon Bay!

This year, the group included Marina Ageeva, CEO of several restaurants in Kaliningrad; Dimitri Dulenin, director of Sheremetyevo Park Hotel; Sergey Romanov, restaurant owner from Vladivostok; and Denis Borodin, also from Vladivostok and regional director for Simple. Visiting from Tatarstan was Yakov Tseinshtein, owner of the company ‘Galerie du Vin’ and of several wine bars. And from Moscow, we welcomed Kirill Sannikov, Natalya Rapoport and Bisso, of course, all from Simple in Moscow.

Thanks to Bisso’s translations, we exchanged our impressions and laughter, finally able to relax a bit during this particularly difficult period of the primeurs season. Mr. Laurent Ehrmann, while fairly tense, kindly agreed to accompany them for a few hours…between two public statements!

Here are a few pictures of this enjoyable visit:

Avec un prix départ négoce respectivement de 43,20€ et 13,20 €, notre affaire s'est faite dans la journée . Nous remercions nos fidèles clients de nous avoir suivis et leur souhaitons de grands moments de plaisir lorsqu'ils ouvriront leurs flacons et dégusteront ce grand millésime qu'est le 2009 et que le monde est en train de s'arracher! 

Un millésime 'ENORME' comme l'a si bien dit la couverture du magazine Vinum récemment!

With an ex-warehouse price of €43.20 and €13.20 respectively, the job was done in just one day. We’d like to thank our customers for their loyalty and hope they will experience great moments of pleasure when they open their bottles and taste this fine 2009 vintage that everyone wants to get their hands on!

As the cover of the magazine Vinum recently said, it's a 'HUGE' vintage!

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Superbe Nase von Himbeeren und Blumen, mineralische Noten; zeigt Rasse und Dichte, Frische und Eleganz, das Finale ist fruchtig, die Tannine raffiniert: noch einmal besser als der 2008.2016 bis 2025 

Rolf Bichsel und Barbara Schroeder

Superb nose of raspberry and flowers, mineral notes. Racy and dense, fresh and elegant. Fruity finish, refined tannins. Even better than the 2008; 2016-2025

Rolf Bichsel and Barbara Schroeder

700 personnes se sont déplacées pour goûter 130 vins lors de la dégustation de Watson's à Hong Kong pendant Vinexpo... Vous reconnaitrez sur la photo de groupe Henri Lurton au deuxième rang à droite!

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700 people traveled to taste 130 wines during the tasting event at Watson's in Hong Kong that was part of Vinexpo. You’ll recognize Henri Lurton on the group photo in the second row on the right!

 "On behalf of the Watson's Wine Cellar team I would like to extend sincere thanks for your participation in our Grande Bordeaux Tasting in Hong Kong on 26th May.

With your support, the event is Hong Kong's largest public tasting of Bordeaux, featuring over 80 Chateaux and 130 wines. The event attracted over 700 guests including Watson's Wine Club members, local media and industry."
 Amanda Yu , Managing Director

 A Brane, on court en automne et on pédale au printemps!!!

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At Brane, we run in the fall and bike in the spring!

A partner and competitor for the fourth time, the Brane team came in 2^nd place in the ‘Châteaux’ category’ and 5^th place overall!

Make of 16 courageous cyclists from the vineyards and cellar this year, the group covered the 50 km of the Vinathlon.

Château Brane-Cantenac marked the last leg before the finish and with all of the courses passing by, we welcomed more than 7,000 people who had the opportunity to taste our Château Notton 2007 while celebrating the end of the race with us decked in original costumes!

We look forward to participating next year, bringing even more enthusiasm and maybe even winning 1^st place!

Photo captions:

The Brane team at the starting line…

Passing in front of the Brane cellar…

The wind turbine ‘sustainable development’ team

Charles de Ravinel, our vineyard manager, resting…

The entire cellar team serving Château Notton

The essential stop at the cellar!

Virginie, David, Thierry and Charles

Mrs. Ottin and her partners

Santa Clauses, so fitting for the season!!

BORDEAUX GRAND CRU PREMIUM TASTING EVENTS, DONGGUAN, SAMEDI 29 MAI 2010

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BORDEAUX GRAND CRU PREMIUM TASTING EVENTS, DONGGUAN, SATURDAY MAY 29, 2010

For the first time ever, Henri Lurton was invited to take part in a tasting and then a dinner that were organized by the owners of Aussino World Wines, Mr. Ken and Mr. Robert Chen. On the initiative of the ‘Barrière Frères’ wine merchant, and more particularly its sales manager, Nicolai Hedegaard, this event was organized to showcase 6 renowned Bordeaux properties. The 1996 and 2001 vintages of Domaine du Chevalier and Châteaux Lynch Bages, Lagrange, Beychevelle and Brane were served, with Château Guiraud with dessert, after a tasting that presented the latest wines, 2006 and 2007… Around a hundred guests, together with the owners, met together in a fabulous ambiance and enjoyed a top-quality typically Chinese menu! We’d like to extend a big thanks to the Aussino and Barrière Frères teams for their impeccable organization!