The vineyard is situated in the commune of Villenave-d’Ornon, in the Pessac-Léognan area of Graves (Bordeaux). Its origins date back to the Middle Ages. Until the late 1970s, the wine was produced by André Lurton (1924–2019) as a tenant. In 1967, Lurton acquired part of the vineyards and founded Château Couhins-Lurton, which is now an independent estate.
The estate was acquired in 1968 by INRA (now INRAE) from the Gasqueton and Hanappier families to conduct systematic research in the field of viticulture. Here, scientifically supervised field trials on sustainable plant protection, soil management, variety selection, water management and climate adaptation are carried out under real-world conditions. The site combines experimental basic research with sensory and business analysis within the framework of a fully operational winery. Château Couhins is now one of the most important research and demonstration estates in French viticulture.
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