Château La Gurgue

The history of Château La Gurgue is closely linked to the village of Margaux. Successively, two owners of the vineyard start the race for the municipality of Margaux and win. The first, a rich banker of Portuguese origin, Mr. Peixotto, adds in 1871, the vines beautifully located priory of the parish of Margaux. Some time later, another mayor of Margaux and general councilor becomes owner of Château La Gurgue. This is Camille Lenoire. It gives its name to the castle for a long time and enriches it with precious parcels surrounded by vineyards of Château Margaux, located in Curton, on the best Margaux rumps. The castle will then find its original name “La Gurgue” which is similar to that of a locality of the village. Claire Villars Lurton is the mastermind behind this renewal. Year after year, she works with great finesse, to reveal in her wine, the exceptional terroir that is the vineyard of Château La Gurgue.

Half of the vineyard is surrounded by some vines of  the Château Margaux. It is located on the north-eastern side of the village of Margaux, on a superb plateau in the place called “Curton”. It is an exceptional soil composed of serious, reaching several meters deep. The rest of the vineyard is spread over the town of Soussans, on sandy-gravel soils.
The vines are about 35 years old. The grape variety is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The terroir is very “Margaux”. Since 1993, Claire Villars Lurton continues the work of her mother by showcasing this precious terroir. She has managed the challenge of elaborating wines combining finesse and delicacy, with a very elegant character. The culture is traditional and the harvest is manual. Two successive sorts are made: on the feet and finishing on the sorting table. The vat was built in 1992 and consists of 8 concrete tanks built in 2001 and 5 stainless steel tanks (with a capacity of 25 to 173 hl) and are equipped with an automated thermo-regulation system. Château La Gurgue is vinified in the same cellar as Château Ferrière. It benefits from the quality installations and the know-how of a third Classified Growth. Vinification is traditional Bordeaux style on wine guard. The vatting lasts between 17 and 25 days depending on the grape variety, the soil and the age of the vines. Temperatures during fermentation do not exceed 25-27 ° C. The malolactic fermentation takes place in the vats and the wine is assembled in January of the year following the harvest. The barrel cellar is semi-buried and therefore has the advantage of being isolated. It has a capacity of about 500 barrels of which 25% are renewed each year. Château La Gurgue is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months.

At the tasting, Château La Gurgue is a pleasure on the nose, with a precision of fruit and shine, and on the palate a feeling of soft finesse.

Their Team

• Owner: Claire VILLARS LURTON
• Brand Ambassadors: Caroline GOSSART (Asian markets), Pauline LURTON (Anglo-Saxon markets & Northern Europe), Sylvie VENNETIER (Francophone markets)
• Oenologist: Eric BOISSENOT
• Production Manager: Gérard FENOUILLET