Château Climens proprietor Lurton has bought a majority stake within the prestigious, Barsac-based property to Jean-Hubert Moitry and his household, through the household’s Patrimonia Développement group, it was introduced this week.
It marks the Moitry household’s first funding within the wine sector, and represents a significant deal within the Bordeaux wine world. Monetary particulars weren’t disclosed.
Nicknamed ‘Lord of Barsac’, Climens is without doubt one of the Premier Grand Cru Classé estates of Sauternes and Barsac listed in Bordeaux’s 1855 Classification.
Bérénice Lurton will proceed to have an advisory position at Climens, working in partnership with the brand new majority proprietor. Lengthy-standing technical director Frédéric Nivelle may even stay in place, mentioned a press release.
‘Though I needed to free myself from the capabilities of supervisor, I’ll passionately accompany my new companions on this journey,’ Lurton mentioned.
‘I’m notably glad that Jean-Hubert Moitry and his household have chosen Climens, and infinitely relieved figuring out we share the identical human values, the identical enthusiasm and the identical imaginative and prescient.’
Beneath Lurton’s steering, Climens has been a pioneer of biodynamics in Bordeaux.
Whereas candy wines created from the property’s 31-hectare Sémillon winery proceed to be critically-acclaimed, the property has additionally joined a development within the wider Sauternes area for releasing new dry white wines. It launched Asphodèle with the 2018 classic.
Lurton added, ‘I’ve at all times thought of myself extra because the momentary guardian of Climens than as its proprietor, a patron within the outstanding historical past of the property. Following within the footsteps of my father and every earlier proprietor, I took the utmost care of this jewel with pleasure, love and uncompromising requirements, counting on the savoir-faire of the women and men who work these lands.’
Jean-Hubert Moitry described the deal because the realisation of a long-standing household dream and mentioned his brother, Jerôme, will assist to handle the property.
‘My spouse Catherine comes from a household of wine retailers from Meymac in Corrèze,’ he mentioned.
‘As wine lovers, we needed to put money into an distinctive property, with irreproachable traits and high quality, in a perspective of household possession and administration, with a really long-term imaginative and prescient and ambition.
‘Château Climens meets all these circumstances: the standard of its terroir, the secular sturdiness of the property, the excellence of its administration and the truth that it has been owned by the Lurton household for over 50 years, have motivated our determination and our dedication.’
Final yr, Sauternes property Château Guiraud additionally introduced a brand new majority proprietor.