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74 / the tasting panel / july 2009 Coast to Coast Tour de France W. J. Deutsch & Sons brings its boutique French wines—and their winemakers—to the States Guy Sarton du Jonchay of Vidal-Fluery. PHOTO BY LANA BORTOLOT T HE TASTING PANEL met the roving winemakers in New York—their fi rst stop—at Marseille restaurant in Midtown for one-on-one chats. Vincent Cruège, Les Vignobles André Lurton, Bordeaux The third-largest landowner in Bordeaux doesn't let or size or pedigree get in its way. Vincent Cruège, winemaker for André Lurton, says that despite the winery's presti- gious and vast holdings—more than 1,556 acres under vine—it remains innovative with an ability to not only keep up, but to often lead the way. The producer, for ex- ample, was an early screwcap pioneer among its peers, and among the fi rst to promote basic label wines such as the Château Bonnet (retailing at $13) with as much panache as its premier labels. "Wine doesn't have to be cerebral—it can be about feelings, good taste and good experience with friends," says Cruège, adding that the popularity of New World wines only helps bring more people into the fold. He describes the Bonnet wines as close to the fruit: "Not complicated but easy to drink, with a light expression of mineral"—a style he says is the future of wine, and one on which Lurton remains focused. Cruege says Lurton is one of a number of Bordeaux producers trying to reach consumers more directly and break them of the habit of cellaring their wines. "People The Vidal-Fleury Côtes-du- Rhône stands at the ready. NEW YORK: Personalities Plus PHOTO BY DAVID GADD I mporter W. J. Deutsch & Sons has a stable of significant French boutique brands represent- ing several of the most important regions in the country. In early June, Deutsch managed to bring the winemakers from these important producers to the States for a three-city Tour de France. Naturally, THE TASTING PANEL was present at all three events. Here's our fi rst-hand report.