Château des Erles

François Lurton is the fifth generation of this family of winemakers. The Lurtons have developed a number of original and revolutionary techniques for the vineyard and the cellar. In 2001, François and his brother, Jacques, took over the Château des Erles, located in the heart of the Corbières and the Fitou appellation, the oldest in the Languedoc. The influence of the sea moderates somewhat the hot summers and gives these wines a freshness of their own.

Our story

The vineyard is located at the foot of the hills of " Coteaux de Villeneuve-les-Corbières " in the " Haut Fitou " area, in the heart of the Corbières Massif. The 18 hectares of the Ardoises and Erles vineyards are part of this same vineyard. The "garrigue", with its wild herbs, pines and holm oaks, that surrounds the vineyard brings notes of Provence herbs to the wine such as rosemary and thyme.
The terroir is poor and well drained thanks to an irregular soil composed of shale and a mixture of black and brown sandstone layered in layers, which makes it more fragile.
The Carignan and Grenache are goblet pruned while the Syrah needs to be trained and cordon pruned. The Grenache vines are
between 40 and 50 years old, the Carignan vines between 30 and 40 years old and the Syrah vines between 10 and 15 years old
.
The density is low, about 3000 vines/ha.
It is a typical Mediterranean climate with dry summers and temperate winters. The rainfall is low and the light is high. The vines are constantly shaken by the "Tramontane", a cold and dry wind coming from the North West or by the "Marin", a warm and humid wind coming from the Mediterranean Sea. The influence of the sea moderates somewhat the hot summers and confers to these wines a freshness which is their own.


Fitou was for my brother Jacques and me, like a challenge. We acquired Château des Erles in 2001, but we had already been working in the area for about ten years. Originally, we wanted to make the most contemporary wine in this appellation in the heart of the Corbières mountains, the oldest in the Languedoc. A great rigor in the vineyard and in the cellar, earlier extractions on perfectly sorted and ripe grapes have very quickly distinguished the Château des Erles and the Cuvée des Ardoises. The fruit and the spices are there, highlighted, but this aromatic is carried by a tannic power without any dryness. Velvet!