Lurtons

Lurtons, ramified family of property owners and winemakers in bordeaux, owning more wine estates in the Bordeaux region than any other single family. In 2014 no fewer than twelve Lurtons were working in wine, surely making this the largest wine family in the world. The original Lurton property is the modest Ch Bonnet in the entre-deux-mers, which belonged to Léonce Recapet, François Lurton’s father-in-law. Although he and François acquired Ch Brane-Cantenac in margaux in 1925, the current extent of the Lurton empire is largely due to the efforts of the brothers André and Lucien, both of whom bought numerous properties during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The elder brother André, who now owns Ch Bonnet and whose estates are mainly in the graves (Chx La Louvière, Couhins, Rochemorin, Cruzeau), was a particularly potent force in the renaissance of the Graves region during the 1980s. A man of vision, energy, and a flair for promotion, he led the campaign for the new appellation of pessac-léognan and became the first president of its Syndicat Viticole.