Château la Louvière

Identity

Château La Louvière is located in the commune of Léognan, in the Gironde department. It is owned by the André Lurton family and is managed today by Jacques Lurton, as president of the vineyards, and Mathilde de Caix-Lurton, as managing director. The consulting oenologists are Valérie Lavigne for the white wines and Mikael Laizet for the red wines.

History and philosophy

The earliest records of vines at Château La Louvière date back to the 14th century, around 1310, with the development of the modern vineyard taking place between 1510 and 1550. In the 17th century, around 1620, the property was owned by the Carthusian Monks. The current classical-style château was built at the end of the 18th century by architect François Lhôte, with interior decors designed by François-Louis Lonsing. In 1791, following the French Revolution, the estate was sold to Jean-Baptiste Mareilhac.

Château La Louvière was registered on the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1946, and then classified as a Historic Monument in 1991. André Lurton acquired the property in 1965. In 2009, a new winery was inaugurated. The estate is committed to environmentally friendly wine production and was awarded level 3 Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) certification in 2017. In 2011, the château won the Gold Best Of Wine Tourism award in the Architecture and Landscapes category.

The appellations

Château La Louvière produces wines under the Pessac-Léognan appellation.

Practical information

Château La Louvière is located at 149, Avenue de Cadaujac, 33850 Léognan. Visits and tastings are by prior booking. The tasting room and boutique are open year-round from Monday to Friday, and from April to October from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00. Visits may also be strictly by appointment depending on the period. Guided cellar tours followed by estate wine tastings are available, generally subject to a fee, and include the tasting of two wines. Events such as seminars and business lunches can be arranged. The estate features an on-site shop. Wi-Fi is available, and pets are welcome. Groups of 5 to 40 people are accepted. Spoken languages are French and English. Accepted payment methods include bank cards, cheques, and cash.

Telephone: +33 5 56 64 75 87

Email: lalouviere@andrelurton.com

Find out more

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard of Château La Louvière spans an area of 69 hectares. The soils dedicated to the red wines consist of deep gravel. For the white wines, the soils are gravelly-sandy, gravelly-clay, clay-limestone, and sandy clay-limestone (marl). More generally, the soils are characterised by gravel and silica, with limestone at the foot of the slopes.

The grape varieties planted for the red wine are primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (41%) and Merlot (59%), while the white wine plantings consist mainly of Sauvignon Blanc (95%) and Sémillon (5%).

Flagship cuvées

The main cuvées are Château La Louvière Rouge and Château La Louvière Blanc. The second wine, available in both red and white, is named L de La Louvière.

Château La Louvière Rouge is a wine that, depending on the vintage, can be Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant or balanced with Merlot, sometimes complemented by a touch of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Château La Louvière Blanc is primarily crafted from Sauvignon Blanc, with some vintages made entirely of pure Sauvignon.

Vinification and ageing

The red wines of Château La Louvière are aged in oak barrels, with around 40% new oak. Ageing generally lasts between 12 and 15 months. Certain vintages may incorporate partial ageing in amphorae or clay jars.

The white wines are vinified in 600-litre barrels and aged on their lees. Ageing lasts approximately 10 months, with a proportion of around 30% new oak. For some vintages, fermentation and ageing take place in barrels on fine lees with regular stirring (bâtonnage).