Brane-Cantenac through a lens

Henri Lurton, owner of Margaux second growth Château Brane-Cantenac, took the opportunity of primeurs week to launch an exhibition of candid black-and-white photographs of his staff posing with the tools of their trade, writes Marisa D’Vari.

This is the third such exhibition in the “Brane seen through the eyes and lens of” series, shot this year by modernist photographer Francois Poincet, known for his work in the wine trade.

Drawing inspiration from Richard Avedon’s black-and-white portraits, Poincet’s strikingly different portraits bring out a side of the château’s daily life that is rarely revealed, where the winery workers take centre stage rather than the vines.

“I wanted to do something different, unconventional and off beaten track away from the earnestness of the wine world.

“My aim was to look at the work in the vineyard and vat room from a humourous point of view, letting the employees express themselves fully while bringing out the love they have for their jobs,” Poincet told the drinks business.

Poincet’s photos will be on display at Brane-Cantenac until 1 April 2014.

The inaugural exhibition featured the work of Patrick Durand, while last year Left Bank oenologist Eric Boissenot was behind the camera.

“Many guests have expressed an interest in buying Boissenot’s works,” Lurton told db.

“But I’ve decided to auction them off on 17 June during VinExpo to raise money for Solidair, a charity founded by physician Philippe Chastan, who flies to Africa on a regular basis distributing surgical supplies for operating rooms,” he added.

To sweeten the deal, four lots of Brane-Cantenac will also be auctioned off in order to meet the auction’s €30,000 objective.

Click through the following pages to see a selection of the Brane-Cantenac photographs.