The Lurton Family, from Bordeaux to Chile

I had come across a few Lurtons in the past few years but had never really linked them together until I received an invitation to the Lurton Family Tasting prior to Vinexpo.

The Lurton family has its root in Bordeaux. The Recapet family started planting vines back in 1650 and great grandfather, Léonce Recapet, started buying estates in 1897, nurturing them back to health after the devastating phylloxera epidemic of 1890 that destroyed so many vineyards. He was even a joint owner of Chateau Margaux at one stage. His daughter married François Lurton who continued to manage the family estates. They had four children, André, Lucien, Simone and Domnique, who each inherited a domaine and carried on to expand the businesses. There are 24 children in the fourth generation.

With 13 of them involve in winemaking, Lurton is the largest family group in the wine industry. Together they own 27 estates with some 1,300 ha of vineyards all over the world. While each member has his own individual business and vineyards, some of them considerable successes in their own right, the name Lurton nonetheless still unites them. In 2009, the Lurton cousins decided to join force and set up the Lurton Wine Group, aiming to promote all the Lurton wines—a brilliant marketing idea in my opinion.

Eight of the 13 members were at the tasting, and we tasted 44 wines from 22 estates, stretching from Spain and Southern France to Australia, Chile and Argentina, with the majority (30) coming from Bordeaux. While the wines all have different styles, they have one thing in common: a respect for the terroir, doubtless a trait inherited from their great grandfather.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the family members and their wines:

Bérénice Lurton, Château Climens, 1st Grand Cru Classé 1855:
I first met Bérénice in 2012 at her estate and I was impressed by her passion. The market share of sweet wine is in decline because of consumers’ preference for less sweet wines. In response to the market, Bérénice developed a second label, Cyprès de Climens, a lighter and more playful style targeting the younger generation that can be served as an aperitif. She recently converted the vineyards to biodynamic farming to make a more elegant wine.

Jacques Lurton, The Islander Estate, Kangaroo Island, Australia:
Jacques was the first Lurton to venture outside Bordeaux, which he did in 1985. After trotting the globe as a flying winemaker for some ten years, he established The Islander Estate in Kangaroo Island in 2000, a maritime-climate site with air from the Antarctic cooling the vines in summer. He is particularly proud of The Investigator, made with 100% Cabernet Franc—a wine that combines the ripeness of Australia and the elegance of France, and I agree. It’s a shame that my one visit to Kangaroo Island happened a few years before Jacques founded the estate.

François Lurton, Domaines François Lurton, from Spain and Southern France to Argentina and Chile:
François is the most international Lurton member, with vineyards in four countries. He actually started off in South America before returning to set up vineyards in Spain then finally France. His philosophy is to preserve the freshness and purity of the fruit, producing wine as natural as possible (biodynamic in South America and minimum chemicals in Europe). I particularly like his Argentinian wine, the Gran Lurton Blanc 2012 from Tokay and Chardonnay grapes with an intense yet elegant palate, and the Piedra Negra Gran Malbec 2009—one of the few Malbecs with such elegance.

Pierre Lurton, Château Marjosse:
Most of us know Pierre because of his role in Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem, but it is Château Marjosse where he feels at home. This is his back garden where he shares wine with friends and family. Pierre has no intention to make a Cheval Blanc here, but rather an unpretentious, good quality wine to be enjoyed with friends. I love his Entre-Deux-Mers white 2012 with its fresh citrus and minerality (it is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris), and I can imagine enjoying the wine with friends on a lazy afternoon. This again proves my point that good quality wine doesn’t need to break the bank! By the way, Pierre is also consulting to Morgenster in South Africa, another outstanding wine from a beautiful terrior.

Other Lurton members present at the tasting:
Thierry Lurton, Château de Camarsac
Christine Lurton, Vignobles André Lurton
Henri Lurton, Château Brane Cantenac, 2nd Grand Cru Classé 1855
Denis Lurton, Château Desmirail, 3rd Grand Cru Calssé 1855
Sophie Lurton, Château Bouscaut, Cru Classés des Graves

Other wines presented at the tasting:
Marc Lurton, Château Reynier
Marie-Laure Lurton, Vignobles Marie-Laure Lurton
Gonzague Lurton, Château Durfort Vivens, 2nd Grand Cru Classé 1855

I hope the next generation of the Lurton family, now coming of winemaking age, will continue the fine traditions of their parents and expand the Lurton family horizons to yet more parts of the world.

Ferrari, Italian Art of Living

‘Wow, what a place!’ That was my first thought as I walked into the reception area of Cantine Ferrari. The displays are lavish without being tacky, loud but with style. Only the Italians can achieve this fine balance.

With so many photographs of celebrities on display, one can’t help but wonder if the winery is related to the sports car Ferrari, and the answer is no. Apparently, Ferrari is the third most popular surname in Italy, after Rossi and Russo.

Based in Trentino in northeast Italy, Cantine Ferrari is the biggest private estate in the region, now run by the third generation, the Lunelli cousins. It all began with Giulio Ferrari, an enthusiastic winemaker who had studied in Adige (Italy), Montpellier (France) and Geisenheim (Germany) and finally Epernay in Champagne (France) before returning to Trentino, a similar terroir to Champagne, in 1902 to produce his first bottles of Ferrari sparkling wine using classic champagne grapes and the metodo classico. Production was limited but the wine had a loyal base of customers. In 1952 Ferrari sold the business to Bruno Lunelli, who together with his three sons increased the production and took the Ferrari brand to new heights and international fame.

The family motto is ‘Wine is the poetry of its land’. This sums up pretty much their quest for excellence with no compromise on quality. Ferrari owns 120 hectares of vineyard and also sources grapes from some 500 families, each with less than 1 ha, in the region. Over 90% of the grapes are Chardonnay with the rest Pinot Noir. Around 5 million bottles are produced each year. I asked Marcello, the cousin in charge of production, to compare Ferrari with Franciacorta sparkling wine from Lombardy, and he said there are no hills in Franciacorta whereas in Trentino vineyards are grown in a cooler environment at altitudes between 300 and 700 m.

There are five quality levels, ranging from the non-vintage entry level with at least 24 months maturation on lees to Giullo Ferrari, the star of the estate with at least 10 years of yeast autolysis. The Perlé line, vintage sparkling, is aged a for minimum of six years on lees, and the bottles are riddled by hand. Marcello said there are on average over 20 millions bottles maturing in the cellar!

Believing wine, especially bubbly, is for celebration, Ferrari is keen to reinforce its brand image as a symbol of the Italian art of living by associating itself with successes and emotions in the worlds of art, entertainment, sport, culture and even politics, and by involving celebrities and well-known personalities as ambassadors. The photographs displayed in the reception include many familiar faces from Andy Warhol and Woody Allen to Niki Lauda and Margaret Thatcher. The family also owns the renowned Villa Margon, a 16th century complex that used to be home to cardinals and prelates and is now used as Ferrari’s hospitality centre, housing an impressive art collection.

Don’t think this is all empty talk. At the 40th Vinitaly, Cantine Ferrari was named the producer of the ‘Legendary Sparkling Wine of the 40th Anniversary’, and its top wine, Giulio Ferrari, is the sparkling wine that has won Gambero Rosso’s ‘Three Glasses’ award most times. We tried seven of the wines after touring the cellar and were not disappointed!

The Ferrari collection is:

• Ferrari NV: Brut (100% Chardonnay), Rosé and Demi-sec with at least 24 months on lees.
• Maximum: Brut, Rosé and Demi-sec, non-vintage but with 36 months on lees. Heavier palate weight suitable for accompanying a meal.
• Perlé: Blanc de Blanc, Rosé and Nero (Blanc de Noir), vintage with about 5 years on lees. Elegant finish.
• Riserva Lunelli: A vintage wine from 100% Chardonnay matured in large oak barrels and with a minimum of 7 years on lees. Rich mouthfeel with multi-dimensional flavour. Ali Nicol, author of Wine Times HK, compared the 2006 to drinking ‘soothing warm sweet butter’.
• Giulio Ferrari: 100% Chardonnay with at least 10 years on lees. Complex bouquet with precise acidity. A touch of minerality on palate and a lasting length.

Ferrari used to be available at Domani, the Italian restaurant, but sadly the latter closed down at the end of May. If you are interested, try Liquid Assets.

Sadie’s Swartland Old Vines Series

"Make wine like tea, not like coffee"; ‘Putting wine in barrel is putting barrel inside wine’". These sayings sum up the winemaking philosophy of Eben Sadie, one of the most passionate South African winemakers I have been lucky enough to meet. He said he used to make big, pitch dark, oaky wines but now prefers to see finesse and elegance in a wine, without too much extraction (hence making wine like tea, not coffee). Of course he uses oak, but only old big, old barrels.

Eben has actually spent a fair amount of time outside South Africa, including ten years in Priorat, Spain. Maybe this explains why he appreciates old vines and makes Grenache and Cinsault. He is one of the pioneers in the Swartland region, with its Mediterranean climate and, even better, lots of neglected old vine parcels. He keeps looking out for such plots and, once he finds one he likes, he nurtures it back to health using natural composts, never man-made chemicals. His goal is to make wine that reflects the history and terroir of the plot, so he doesn’t blend wines. A couple of plots may be planted with different varieties and he will just ferment them together—a technique known as field blending.

The dry weather in Swartland means mildew is not an issue in the vineyard, but sunburnt grapes are. In the winery the grapes are sorted meticulously to make sure all sunburnt grapes are discarded as Eben doesn’t like the overripe, caramel taste they impart. He uses no chemicals, no filtration and no fining except for the 60ppm of sulphur dioxide that is necessary to ensure stability during a voyage over the equator.

Eben’s new range of wine, Ouwingerdreeks (meaning 'Old Vines Series' in Afrikaans), is made from some of those forgotten old vine parcels. He was in Hong Kong recently to present the 2012 vintage. All the wines have a purity of fruit, an elegant structure and not-overpowering aromas that make them perfect for food pairing.
 
The Ouwingerdreeks Range has a simple classic label design that conveys the down-to-earth character of the wines. But we noticed that each wine has a different colour wax seal, and it turns out there is a story behind that:

Pofadder: 100% Cinsault from 50 year old vines. Eben reckons Cinsault can only be made into good quality red wine when the vines are old. Young Cinsault should only be used for rosé. The wine has a black seal because the name means puff adder, a venomous black snake found in Africa.

Soldaat: 100% Grenache from 48 year old vines at 700m altitude. It is the altitude that gives the wine its freshness. Soldaat means soldier and the highest military honour is purple colour hence the purple wax seal.

Treinspoor: 100% Tinta Barocca (Tinta Barroca) of Portuguese origin. Eben describes the wine as a blend of Cote Rotie and Piedmont—the spicy, blue berries of Syrah combined with the tannin of Nebbiolo. The silver wax seal is derived from the name Treinspoor, meaning railway.

Skerpioen: A field blend of Chenin Blanc and Palomino from 66 year old vines. Eben swears that the saline taste (from the Palomino perhaps?) is heaven when paired with oyster cooked with lime peel and almond, one of his home-made dishes. The white wax seal recalls the chalk soil where the grapes are grown.

Skurfberg: 100% Chenin Blanc from an 88 year old vineyard 300 km from the winery. This one has 14% alcohol but is well balanced and supported by a fresh acidity and elegant fruit and perfume. It has a red wax seal because the plot is on red soil.

T Voetpad: A field blend of Semillon, Semillon Gris, Palomino, Chenin Blanc and Muscat d’Alexandria grown in one of the oldest vineyards in South Africa: the plot was planted between 1887 and 1928! A wine full of concentration that can certainly age gracefully. The yellow wax seal reflects the vineyard’s yellow footpath (Voetpad in Afrikaans).

Mrs Kirsten: 100% Chenin Blanc from the oldest vineyard in Stellenbosch, planted in 1905. According to Eben the pleasant oxidative character is a characteristic of the vineyard. Only 480 bottles are made each year. Why the orange wax seal? Simply because the owner of the plot, Mrs Kirsten, likes orange.

All these wines, of which only a few hundred cases are made per wine, retail here at just HK$200-240 per bottle, with the exception of the Mrs Kirsten ($740/bottle). These are some of the very best value wines I have ever had and, for once, I found myself begging a producer to increase his prices to be in line with consumer expectations (I suggested $280-$350/bottle)! Eben responded that wine is a living thing and he sees his work as agriculture—not agri-business. He just wants to make wine that brings pleasure to consumers. He would much prefer us to drink two bottles per night at a lower price than just one at a higher price ... but then Eben, you don’t make enough wine to satisfy the market!

Anyway, I’m stocking up now. If you want to do the same, Eben’s Ouwingerdreeks Range from The Sadie Family is available from Berry Bros & Rudd.

A snapshot of the German South

When talking about German wine, the first thing that comes to mind is often the elegant Riesling from Mosel or Rheingau. But actually there are a lot of hidden gems in the southern regions of Pfalz and Baden. I was delighted to see a few for myself during a recent trip there.

Riesling, the flagship of German wine, is grown in the south but it tends to be the less sweet kinds because of the warmer weather. Acidity is not as high as in Mosel and hence doesn’t need the sugar to balance it. However, there is more than just Riesling here. The mild climate allows red grape varieties to flourish, the most notable being Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), although Merlot and Cabinet Sauvignon are also grown.

I was with a group of sommeliers and journalists from Hong Kong and China. We visited eight wineries in three days, including:


Weingut Albert Glas, Essingen, Pfalz

A family winery established in 1950 and run by three generations. Grandson Dominik Glas is the one in charge of this 15ha vineyard located in Pfalz—considered the ‘Tuscany’ of Germany because of its mild climate. With a small production and limited resources, Dominik realised he should not spread himself too thin to cover all export markets so he focuses only on one, China. Bravo Dominik!

I like his wines because he clearly made them with the consumer in mind. Secco Passionfruit (a sparkling wine with...erh... passionfruit flavour, a surprisingly refreshing wine dismissed by wine snobs but loved by young consumers); Just Rosé ‘Black Label’ 2013 (a QbA category wine made with 100% Merlot and loaded with red fruits —and fun, according to Dominik.)

And don’t think Dominik only makes half-serious wines! We had the privilege to try his Cuveé Red ‘Grand Reserve’ 2011, a new, not yet named, wine. It is a blend of Pinot Noir, Merlot and Dornfelder with ample black fruits supporting the vanilla and cinnamon from the new oak, while the tannin from Dornfelder provides the structure for ageing. Only two barrels (600 bottles were made).

We were later taken in the back of his truck to the vineyard for a tasting of his eiswein with a view, and then treated to a homemade lunch by his parents. Their enthusiasm is visible everywhere. I wish them the best of luck in China!

Weingut Salwey, Oberrotweil, Baden
Another family winery also founded in 1950, the vineyard is located at Kaiserstuhl (Emperor’s Chair), a range hills of volcanic origins about 600m high. Owner Konrad Salwey first took us to the terraced vineyards via a steep and winding road where we were rewarded with a panoramic view and Konrad's explanation of the geography and soil type in the area, before returning to the cellar to taste samples from tank and barrel.

The best and the most typical grapes in Baden are the Pinot family. We tried tank samples of Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder) from different soils and it was just amazing how different they were. Loess lime soil, being more fertile, gives a more ripe fruit aroma while volcanic soil contributes a mineral character. This shows how much impact soil has on wine. We also tasted Pinot Noir from different vintages to see how weather affected the wine. Thanks Konrad for a very educational morning.

Lunch, beautifully presented, was prepared on a make-shift table by a renowned chef, another well-thought-out bit of hospitality from Konrad.

Weingut Dr. Heger, Ihringen, Baden 

Yet another family winery, now in its third generation, run by Joachim Heger. The vineyards are located at Ihringer Winklerberg and Ackharrer Schlossberg, considered the warmest vineyard areas in Germany. The ripeness of fruit in the wine is elegantly supported by the structure so the wine feels balanced rather than heavy.

Winemaker Markus Mleinek showed us the cellar and I was surprised to learn that the German oak barrels are not toasted. The purpose of toasting is to remove harsh wood tannins but it will, at

Winemaker Markus and owner Joachim

the same time, impart toasted aromas (vanilla, cinnamon, coffee, etc depending on the level of toasting). German winemakers don’t want the toasted aroma (particularly in their Riesling) so the barrels are instead steamed to take out the harsh wood tannins. I learn something new every day!

We tasted 10 wines, including all colours of pinots (Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder). I particularly liked the 2012 Dr Heger Ihringer Winklerberg Weissburgunder

VPD Erste Lage for its creamy mouthfeel (the result of lees stirring or battonage) and the mineral, slightly savoury taste (from the volcanic rock the vines are grown on). The Mimus Spätburgunder is in memory of Joachim’s father Wolfgang, whose nickname was Mimus and who passed away in 2004. The 2011 we tasted, also from the Ihringer Winklerberg vineyard, had intense black fruit and well integrated spices from the 18 months ageing in French barrique, yet a mineral touch on palate. An elegant wine that combined the best of Old and New worlds.

Dr Heger is available from Schmidt Vinothek.


Riesling no doubt is the king of wine in Germany, but don’t overlook other equally interesting wines!