Château de Barbe Blanche has unravelled an unlikely love story!

The most recent of André Lurton‘s acquisitions, Château de Barbe Blanche is a discreet property dating from the early 20th century, on the heights of Lussac Saint Emilion hidden in a romantic lush setting. The setting is not the only romantic aspect of the estate: in the château’s underground limestone quarries, inscriptions dating from 1918-19 have been discovered and authenticated and the results link them to the most unlikely love story!

Graffiti in the Château’s underground quarries

Intrigued by this graffiti, we set out to find out more about it. After several months of research and investigation in the local archives, the strange engravings in the Barbe Blanche quarry were linked to some unusual love stories! Numerous graffiti were discovered on the walls of the quarry, most of them dating from the First World War: 1918 is engraved several times on the stone. Other inscriptions, referring to the United States, can be found all over the walls (such as “USA”, “Okla”, etc.). It may seem surprising to make such a discovery here. So how can it be explained?

When American soldiers arrived in 1918 to help the French in their fight for freedom, a number of them were wounded and treated in a war hospital set up in Lussac between 1918 and 1919. Some beautiful love stories were born there, between the “Sammies”, American soldiers who came to fight in France for Freedom in 1917, and the young women of the region. The Barbe Blanche quarry was one of the places where these Franco-American lovers first met. Some soldiers left at the end of the war (in 1919 or 1920) with their lovers. (Around ten Franco- American marriages were celebrated at Lussac).But inevitably, many of them left their loves behind in France…

The creation of two romantic cuvées

This story inspired the creation of two cuvées, the first, Coeur Perdu, a wine produced in very small quantities (1,200 bottles/year), from a 100% Cabernet Franc, pure, fresh and somewhat shy – which pays tribute to those who were left behind; and BB de Barbe Blanche, a happy, silky wine, which has a more optimistic note and celebrates the love but above all the beautiful friendship between our two countries. Château Barbe Blanche has been a joint venture between Madame Claude Magnon and Vignobles André Lurton since 2010, with technical and commercial management entirely in the hands of Vignobles André Lurton. The 28- hectare estate is currently converting to organic farming.