Château Couhins-Lurton
The Confidential Cru Classé
Until recently, this Classified Growth of Graves was a well-kept secret.
This is the smallest of our family estates, but also the smallest of the Classified Growth of Graves.
Its clay-limestone terroir, unique in the appellation, produces mineral Sauvignon Blancs and fruity, fresh Merlots. The wines are partly vinified and matured in barrels and horizontal amphorae: the meticulous work of a craftsman produces a dazzling result, worthy of this exceptional cru.
It is for this particular vintage that Jacques Lurton fully expresses his oenological vision, supported on a daily basis by his teams.
The history of the Château
Known at the end of the 17th century as “Bourdieu de La Gravette”, the Couhins estate belonged to Maître Alphonse Banchereau, a renowned notary in the city of Bordeaux. The property’s surface area was almost identical to today’s, consisting of arable land and vines planted on the best gravelly hilltops in the parish.
Until 1805, the same Banchereau family presided over its destiny, bringing modernity and comfort with the construction of the mansion around 1800.
In 1883, the Hanappier family, founders of a major wine and spirits trading house in Bordeaux, became the owners. The estate underwent major changes: restoration of the château, design of a park by landscape architect Louis Le Breton, modernization of the vineyards…
The vineyard and its wines quickly won numerous awards. All these qualities were officially recognized in 1959 by the I.N.A.O., which classified the estate’s white wines as Crus Classé de Graves.
In 1967, the owners decided to uproot the Couhins vineyard. Alerted by a friend, André Lurton offered to lease the estate to save it. The vineyard was nevertheless dismembered three years later.
Most of the vines were transferred to INRA. In 1972, André Lurton bought a large parcel of the vineyard from INRA, thus dividing the cru classé.
In 1992, he completed this purchase with the acquisition of the château, the winery, the outbuildings and the beautiful park, thus completing the creation of Couhins-Lurton. In 1998, he began rebuilding the winery and restoring the Château.
In September 2002, the first red grapes from a beautiful plot of gravel were brought to the recently completed Couhins-Lurton winery. This marked the revival of an old tradition dating back more than a century: the Couhins terroir had produced 90% red wines until 1910.
Known for some years as “La Belle endormie”, this property has been undergoing major architectural and landscaping renovations since 2021. Since the 2019 vintage, Jacques Lurton has signed the wines of this Grand Cru Classé.
Vineyard data sheet
Area
White 6 hectares
Red 12 hectares
Grape varieties
White 100% Sauvignon blanc
Red 83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon
Soils
White Clay-limestone
Red Clay-gravel
Consultant oenologists
White Valérie Lavigne
Red Eric Boissenot
Buy our wines
direct from the Châteaux
All our wines are available for direct sale at the estate, at the Château La Louvière boutique (with tasting facilities) and at the Château Bonnet reception (currently no tasting facilities).
At Château La Louvière, you can round off your visit with a tour of our cellars, a wine tasting session or even take part in one of our workshops (booking recommended). Located just 20 minutes from the center of Bordeaux, we welcome you to the Château all year round, Monday to Friday (including Saturdays from April to October), from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm.
Château Couhins-Lurton
48, Chemin de Martillac – 33 140 Villenave d’Ornon
chateau-couhins-lurton.com
