The Lurton family have prestigious holdings all over Bordeaux. Their network is impressively large, yet they still retain their roots and strive to produce classic wine throughout all their properties. If you’ve ever visited a redwood forest, you may have seen trees sprouting from within an even larger tree; this is akin to the family tree of Lurton. Gonzague Lurton and his wife are just one branch of this tree, and after his father handed over the reins in 1992, they secured ownership of Château Cure-Bourse and Château Durfort-Vivens, which you may know as one of the 14 prestigious ‘Second Growths’ of Bordeaux. 

The wine of Cure-Bourse is sourced from the same vineyards as its Second Growth brother in three of the five major communes of Margaux AOC: Cantenac, Soussans, and Margaux itself. Most of the plots are located on hilltops, where gravelly soils run deep. The vines are an average age of 25 years old and are planted to an extremely high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, which is reflected in the final cuvée: The assemblage for their 2010 vintage is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, which is quite rare for Margaux in this world of wine. This has been a point of contention for some critics, but Lurton has held firm, believing Cabernet to be the major backbone of Bordeaux. While most wines would fall victim to harsh tannins and stiffness, Château Cure-Bourse has somehow conjured up a wonderfully smooth wine that aged in 16 months of partial new, but mostly used, French oak. 

The wine radiates with its dark ruby core and has quite a bit of oranging on the rim showing its maturity. Floral notes of dried violet erupt from the glass, along with black and red currant, crushed blackberry and dried clay. The palate complements the seductive nose, while adding classic notes of sage, pencil lead, cedar, dried mushroom and pipe tobacco. The wine is medium-plus in body with soft tannins and noticeable acidity that keep it alive on the finish. Unlike other 2010 Bordeaux that need a lifetime of cellaring, you can most definitely open Cure-Bourse now! You won’t be left with the question “what could’ve been?” afterward. It has entered its drinking window now and will be approaching its peak in the next 5-7 years. It’s a win-win situation. Pop and pour this wine at 60 degrees into a large Bordeaux stem and don’t worry about decanting, as it is gorgeous right out of the bottle. For food, try starting the meal with a nice Camembert or Brie and then butterfly a leg of lamb on the grill. Rosemary, garlic, and charred lemons should do the trick! Enjoy!