Chateau Du Cros Sauvignon Bordeaux AC, Famille Boyer

Description

Chateau du Cros Sauvignon Bordeaux AC is a dry white wine from the Loupiac region, a wine-growing area more famous for its dessert wines.

Famille Boyer own a small collection of three petites chateaux – Chateau du Cros in Loupiac, Chateau Haut Mayne in Cérons and Chateau Clos Bourbon in Paillet. They produce 14 different wines across six different wine growing appellations. Chateau du Cros is the main property of the Famille Boyer and is located in the small Bordeaux appellation of Loupiac. The commune of Loupiac is located between Cadillac and Ste Croix de Mont on the right bank of the Garonne river directly opposite the famous sweet wine growing left bank appellations of Barsac and Sauternes. The Cros vineyard is located in Loupiac 40kms to the south of Bordeaux and consists of some 60 hectares of vines surrounding the medieval Chateau du Cros. The medieval Chateau was inhabited until 1940 but was partly destroyed in World War 2 and has since fallen in ruin. The remains are perched atop a hill which is the highest point to view the Garonne in the Gironde. The family have a very rare, single plot of Semillon vines planted here that are 107 years old. The soils here have a high proportion of limestone which helps to produce wines with good acidity.

The grapes for the Chateau du Cros Sauvignon come from a vineyard comprising 7 hectares on the hill-slopes right bank of the Garonne River, 40 km South of Bordeaux on argilo-calcareous soil. Limestone subsoil, chalky clay topsoil which lends a beautiful freshness to the wine. Chateau du Cros Sauvignon Bordeaux AC wine is actually a blend of 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Sauvignon Gris. The grapes are gently pressed and undergo a period of skin maceration to extract as much of the varietal aromas as possible. The wine is then fermented in stainless steel at 8C. In the 1970s, this particular wine was one of the first white Bordeaux Sauvignons to be aged on the lees, which is now normal practice, and this wine is aged for 3 months on the lees with a weekly pumping over and is rested in stainless steel prior to bottling.