Fairfield County Look - Great Vineyards and Art, A True Love Story

Great Vineyards and Art, A True Love Story

By Etienne Touzot

For centuries, wine has been associated with all forms of art, paintings, music, sculpture, as a source of inspiration for the artist but also as a living media on the labels or in the vineyards.

The most known example is of course, the famous first growth Chateau Mouton Rothschild, where every year an artist is invited to design the label of this prestigious wine. Since 1945, the bottle of Mouton was artistically sublimed with famous artists as Miro, Cesar, Chagall, Warhol, Cocteau, Dali, and many more.

Another great example comes from another Bordeaux estate.

Les Quartres Saisons Like the wine – coming from the terroir of each single vineyard - is a unique piece of work, every sculpture is unique too. It finds its roots from the result of a spirit that rules over the six estates.

For the last decades, Jean-Jacques Lesgourgues has had a strong passion for contemporary arts. Being himself a collector, he has asked very talented artists to create masterpieces in each of the 6 estates of the Lesgourgues family.

Other than simply beautifying the premises (vineyards, gardens, cellars, wineries…) the monumental sculptures are able to show off their worth in their relationship to nature, a worth that they would probably lose if exhibited in museums. Every year, an artist moves into one of the properties in order to create a piece of work in relation with its environment, its history, the life inside the property, the local culture or even the house style.

Cour du Chateau Cadillac

It is without any doubt, for instance, that the owners, thanks to their culture and their passion for Art, were conditioned in their choices to entrust the acclaimed designer Sylvain Dubuisson, with the architectural conception of Château Haut Selve.

Château Haut Selve was born in 1993 from the ambitious bet of creating a Château ex-nihilo in the heart of the Graves, one of the most spectacular terroirs of Bordeaux.

It is the unique creation of the 20th century in Bordeaux; the architectural conception of the cellar, the wine tasting rooms and their furniture which have been designed by Sylvain Dubuisson.

The entrance gate of the property, the door and the gates of the cellars were designed by Vincent Barré, a famous French sculptor, also graduated in architecture.

The sculptures, which were thought right from the beginning of the architectural project, have been achieved by Juan Bordes (“Castor & Pollux” “Les Cinq Sens”) and by Yves Guerrin (“Le Feu”, “Les Balanciers du Vent” and “Hommage à Giacometti”).

This aesthetic step is part of the three declared founding values of the Vignobles Lesgourgues: Tradition, Innovation and Beauty.

I encourage you to visit this breathtaking property, if you are in the area. But the Chateau Haut Selves is not only about beautiful art, it is truly a superb wine amongst the best of this prestigious appellation of Graves, and I invite you to taste and appreciate some.

Clearly one of my favorites!!

As usual, eat well, drink wisely and live longer!

Etienne