Acaibo: where the Bordeaux tradition of excellence meets California terroir

A bridge between Bordeaux and California

Nestled in the Chalk Hill area of Sonoma, the 24-acre vineyard is at the intersection of the most renowned wine-making regions of California: Russian River, Knight's Valley and Alexander Valley. 

Combining the excellence of Bordeaux craftsmanship with the generosity of California's clay and volcanic soils, the iconic Acaibo is blended from the quintessential Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. 

Claire and Gonzague Lurton decided to bring their own style to the Sonoma land. Rather than produce yet another Californian wine, they have drawn on their French grape-growing and wine-making experience to tackle the daunting challenge of adapting the ancestral techniques of Bordeaux to the arid environment of Chalk Hill.


Organic farming

Irrigation is an especially critical aspect. Claire and Gonzague Lurton built on the knowledge they gained in Bordeaux to implement a rational water management plan that leverages the two rainwater harvesting lakes on the estate and sap flow sensors. These sap flow sensors are installed at the foot of select vines to measure their water stress in order to limit and optimize irrigation. 

At Chalk Hill, such methods make it possible to minimize the carbon footprint. The grapes are grown organically and irrigated just once or twice a year on average, compared to other California estates that irrigate two to three times per month. 

These are practices they had already widely implemented in the Médoc, where they own Bordeaux's largest biodynamic wine-making estate. 
 

A Bordelais wine by nature

Claire and Gonzague surrounded themselves with experts to ensure their gamble would pay off. Pierre Seillan, from the renowned Vérité wine-growing estate, helped them master the specificities of the California climate. On the technical side, they turned to the bicultural wisdom of their manager, Nicolas Vonderheyden. A native of Margaux (Médoc) who settled in the United States, Nicolas works in synergy with nature and listens to the grapes. Together, over the years, they have succeeded in taming the Sonoma terroir and in improving the quality of their wines, vintage after vintage.

While the temperature profile and sun exposure lend themselves to growing Cabernet Sauvignon and eliminate the need for the leaf removal and topping practices employed in France, the steep slopes of Chalk Hill do require a very specific kind of approach that is far removed from the grape-growing traditions of the Médoc.


Acaibo 2016: a prestigious vintage 

After several years of effort and adaptation, Claire and Gonzague finally hit the jackpot: the Acaibo 2016 vintage, an exceptional wine that is as refined as it is balanced between freshness and fullness in the mouth — much closer to traditional Bordeaux wines than to typical California wines. The wine is part of an elite class of American vintages that have earned 95 or more points from Colin Hay at Drinks Business:

"All spice, cinnamon, root liquorice, dried violets, lavender and potpourri, an interesting wild, gamey note and an earthy ferrous saline minerality.  (…) There is lots of promise and potential here."


Acaibo, symbol of water and the Trinity

Having both grown up in the heart of the Bordeaux vineyards, Claire and Gonzague are very aware of the fact that ‘a great wine is intimately linked to the land’. 

The name Acaibo thus derives from the origins of Sonoma, where Amerindian peoples lived until the nineteenth century. In Native American dialect, ACA refers to fish and water, the most basic resource of viticulture in Sonoma. The second syllable, IBO, means three: a reference to the Bordeaux roots of the Lurton (the Bordeaux arms is three intertwined crescent moons), but also to their three children, their three Grands Crus Classés and the three Bordeaux grape varieties chosen for the Acaibo blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc).

So, beyond wine, ACAIBO sums up the twenty years of union between Gonzague and Claire, characterised by passion and adventure. With their eyes firmly fixed on the future, the couple is also certain that one day, their children will write their own story in the vineyards and cellars of this extraordinary property.

Find out more

Claire and Gonzague Lurton are respectively from the third and fourth generation of two of the Bordeaux region's great wine families: the Merlaut and the Lurton. In 1992 and 1993, they took over the reins of their respective family estates, and today, own five châteaux, including three Grands Crus Classés:

    • CHÂTEAU DURFORT-VIVENS, a Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 Second Growth, in Margaux.
    • CHÂTEAU FERRIÈRE, a Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 Third Growth, in Margaux.
    • CHÂTEAU HAUT-BAGES LIBERAL, a Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 Fifth Growth, in Pauillac
    • CHÂTEAU LA GURGUE, located in the heart of the Margaux appellation
    • ACAIBO, in Sonoma, CA

In 2007, Gonzague and Claire converted all of their vineyards to biodynamics and agroecology, becoming the pioneers of this form of viticulture in Bordeaux. They are also the co-founders of La Belle Vigne, a consultancy company that supports wine professionals in moving towards sustainable viticulture, for living soils. 

More informations : https://gc-lurton-estates.com

Contact

Antoine Cassagne-Latute, Chargé des relations presse
Tel : +33 (0)6 12 31 22 66
Mail : antoine24presse@gmail.com