Château Desmirail

The château

Desmirail came out of the Rauzan holding: in 1741 Marguerite Rauzan du Ribail brought it as her dowry to Jean-Baptiste Desmirail, which makes it a sibling of Rauzan-Ségla, Rauzan-Gassies and Marquis de Terme. In 1855 it belonged to Sipière, the régisseur of Château Margaux. In 1938 it came apart. The château and the brand went to Paul Zuger, who owned Marquis d’Alesme Becker, the vineyard went to Château Palmer, and Desmirail ceased to exist as a producer; the house is Château Marquis d’Alesme Becker today. Palmer kept the name in use: its whole 1963 crop went into Desmirail bottles, which is why there is no 1963 Château Palmer. Lucien Lurton bought what was left of the name in 1980 and rebuilt the estate from about 20 parcels.

In 1992 Lucien Lurton divided his properties among his children, and Denis Lurton took Desmirail, which he still owns and runs. Lucien Lurton died on March 25, 2023.

The holding is still scattered, about 40 hectares over 4 communes: only 9 at Margaux-Cantenac, 13 at Soussans, 13 at Arsac and 5 in the Haut-Médoc, on deep Quaternary gravel. The planting is about 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and the estate has held Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms) since the 2018 vintage. Fermentation is in large wooden tuns and stainless steel, installed in 1997 and 2010, and the wine spends about 1 year in barrel, half the barrels new. About half of each year’s production is sold in bulk. Initial de Desmirail is the second wine, sold in France as Château Fontarney.

At a glance

Appellation

Margaux

Commune

Cantenac, with parcels at Soussans, Arsac and in the Haut-Médoc

Classification

Troisième Cru Classé 1855

Owners

The Lurton family, since 1980

Direction

Denis Lurton, owner and manager, since 1992

Vineyard

About 40 hectares over 4 communes: 9 at Margaux-Cantenac, 13 at Soussans, 13 at Arsac, 5 in the Haut-Médoc

Soil

Deep Quaternary gravel Terroir of Margaux →

Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon about 50%, Merlot about 40%, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot

Farming

Haute Valeur Environnementale, since the 2018 vintage

Cellar

Wooden tuns and stainless steel, of 1997 and 2010; about 1 year in barrel, half the barrels new

Wines

Château Desmirail; Initial de Desmirail, sold in France as Château Fontarney

The lost years

Split up in 1938, the château to Marquis d’Alesme and the vines to Palmer; rebuilt from 1980

Palmer’s 1963

The whole crop went into Desmirail bottles; there is no 1963 Château Palmer