Words from Former Presidents

Pessac-Léognan

A word from the President Jacques Lurton

35 years after the creation of the Pessac-Léognan Appellation by my father, André Lurton, a relentless leader who served as its President for 18 years, I step into this role with the hope of breathing new life into this Appellation, one of the most prestigious in Bordeaux.

The main points of my program are as follows :

To position Pessac-Léognan among the great wines distributed on the international stage.

To diversify the wine tourism offerings and make our Appellation a must-visit for tourists in Bordeaux.

To ensure the coexistence between the peri-urban area and the surrounding vineyards through biodiversity initiatives.

Jacques LURTON

A word from Philibert Perrin

We are in a wine-growing region where our land is a Terroir. A terroir is the result of the combination of a certain number of parameters that complement each other and offer the potential to produce a product of great quality that cannot be reproduced identically.
A terroir is first and foremost a soil with specific characteristics in terms of its composition, its relationship with water, its exposure to sunlight and, of course, its surrounding micro-climate. These are the characteristics of our Pessac-Léognan soils.
A terroir, like a musical instrument, can only express itself if man has the skills to play it and the creative passion that will lead him, through this alchemy, to elevate it to the level of a work of art.
Great terroirs are rare and of course untransferable, and those of the Pessac-Léognan appellation are certainly among the best.
We, the winegrowers and craftsmen of the vine and wine, are the heirs to this magnificent heritage and have a duty to safeguard it for future generations.

Philibert PERRIN

A word from Laurent Cogombles

In these troubled times of violent economic crisis, the winegrowers of PESSAC-LEOGNAN are more attached than ever to the unique terroir of their Appellation, the cradle of the Bordeaux vineyards thousands of years ago. Most of the most beautiful sites in our Appellation were already vineyards in the 18th century, but this rich history does not protect us from the very strong urban push of Bordeaux. The winegrowers of PESSAC-LEOGNAN are dynamic and innovative, as evidenced by their modern reception and vinification facilities, which are increasingly respectful of the grapes.
We are the only Bordeaux Appellation to have asked to include the obligation of ‘bottling on the property’ in our specifications. It’s a guarantee of authenticity.
I hope you enjoy tasting our wines and visiting our Châteaux.

Laurent COGOMBLES

A word from André Lurton

The GRAVES DE BORDEAUX, located to the south of the city along the Garonne, is the oldest wine-growing region in the Bordeaux region.
It was here, as far back as The Roman period, when the wine that was made to travel the globe was born.
Its boundaries have fluctuated slightly over the ages, but have never strayed far from the outskirts of Bordeaux.
In 1905, their historical boundaries were fixed when the Syndicat Viticole des Graves de Bordeaux was created, which was to become the first Bordeaux winegrowing association.
When I arrived in this region in 1965, I discovered the extraordinary potential of its terroirs. I quickly realised that they needed to be authenticated and given their letters of nobility in the form of an « Appellation Contrôlée ».
In 1953 and 1959, this region was the only one to welcome the most deserving vineyards as Classified Growths of Graves. Its designation as an AOC became obvious to me, justified by the specific qualities of its terroir, the typicality of its products, its micro-climate, its gravelly hilltops perfectly shaped by streams that ensure good drainage, and the skills and know-how of its winegrowers.
In 1987, the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine recognised the PESSAC-LEOGNAN appellation.
Welcome to our home. Our Grands Crus and Châteaux are waiting for you to join us in tasting the wines that were once the glory of Bordeaux and that today celebrate our prestigious region.

André LURTON