Born into one of Bordeaux’s most illustrious winemaking families, Pierre Lurton obtained his undergraduate degree in agriculture, followed by two years of study in medicine. At the age of 23 he took over management of Clos Fourtet, a Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé belonging to the Lurton Family. Slightly more than a decade later, he became managing director of the legendary Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Émilion, and in 2004 he was appointed CEO of Château d’Yquem.

Generally regarded as the world’s greatest sweet wine, Château d’Yquem was ranked as a Premier Cru Supérieur (First Great Growth) in the 1855 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac—the only estate to be so honored. It is famed for its prolonged ability to age, as well as its balance of ripeness and acidity which makes it a perfect match for a wide range of dishes at the table. Lurton has promoted the accessibility of Yquem by encouraging the world’s top restaurants to pour it by the glass, out of Magnums or Double Magnums.

In addition to his work at Yquem and Cheval Blanc, Lurton also oversees Cheval des Andes in Argentina; he also works as a consultant for a small number of selected estates and has created and developed his own vineyard in Entre-Deux-Mers, Château Marjosse. A good horseman and avid sailing enthusiast, he dreams of competing in the America’s Cup.

Lurton will also be joined by Lorenzo Pasquini, Yquem’s estate manager. Pasquini has been immersed in wine since early childhood thanks to his family, who owned a vineyard in Tuscany. He studied viticulture and oenology at the University of Pisa and has worked at properties throughout France as well as Cheval des Andes in Argentina. He has respected Yquem’s tradition while injecting a fresh perspective into the legacy of the 400-year-old estate.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW is one of the most influential wine critics and educators in the world today. Her 25 years in the industry included stints in wine sales and marketing in the UK, as well as working as a fine wine importer and educator at Tokyo’s Academie du Vin. In 2008, she passed the rigorous Master of Wine examination and began working for Robert M. Parker, Jr. at The Wine Advocate as a reviewer for Australian and New Zealand wines; she became editor in chief at both the Advocate and robertparker.com in 2013, responsible for reviewing wines from Bordeaux, Napa and Sonoma Counties.

In 2021, she left The Wine Advocate to become co-founder of The Wine Independent, a fresh, new take on wine criticism websites, focusing on storytelling and emotive professional photography as much as expert wine reviews. Perrotti-Brown is an accomplished author as well: her first book, Taste Like a Wine Critic: A Guide to Understanding Wine Quality, was published in 2015, taking readers on a journey through the fundamentals of wine quality and offering wine lovers everywhere the ability to better understand, appreciate and communicate their discoveries. As moderator, she will provide invaluable insights into the progression of vintages at Château d’Yquem.