History
Upon Roman arrival in Bearn, it is probable that they discovered sites dedicated to pagan beliefs (from before the time of Christianity) in the luxuriant penumbra of our forests. There more than anywhere else, was it a high place of spirituality, full of mystical force ? Was it more prevalent here than anywhere else ? In any instance, this place was given a name through which centuries of worship, beliefs and perhaps even magic resonate ; Lucus, translated “sacred wood” from which Lucq-de-Béarn gets its name.
A few centuries later, in 1888, Pierre Saint-Martin, unfamiliar with the transcendent virtues and legends of these woods, decided to acquire the property next to his own because of the abundance of chestnut trees as a precious source of income. The Saint-Martin family then moved into the Cougot house, a very old house that appears on records as early as 1385 on the census of Gaston Fébus. Since then, generation after generation on this farm has followed in the great Paysan tradition of Béarn with breeding, maize cultivation and viticulture. However, in 1980, Pierre (the great grandson of the first) and his wife Rose-Marie directed more focus to viticulture by restructuring and expanding the vineyard. Today, Laurent and Pauline, the fifth generation, have now added another dimension with the creation of a winery ; Le Bois Sacré, the “sacred wood” of the Jurançon appellation.
For us, Le Bois Sacré is a nod to our village of Lucq: the Saint-Martin family has lived here for several centuries and we feel deeply attached to this place. It is a way for us to perpetuate this heritage by honoring the memory of both the men and women who lived there and the land that supported their livelihood.
Free from all human intervention, sacred woods carry a notion of preservation, where nature in the raw state plays the role of a refuge of biodiversity. At a time when all aspects of life are threatened by the modern world, agriculture will increasingly bear responsibility for this preservation, where every farm worthy of the name will be an island of diversity; Le Bois Sacré is one of these refuges, a break from the world.
Le Bois Sacré is the story of our endeavour ; Through the Wine we traveled many regions in France and abroad before returning to Bearn to solidify our common passion, to make wine together. Like our history, we want to make Le Bois Sacré a place of sharing and exploration of wine.