Château de Cruzeau: Vineyards
Château de Cruzeau is the dominant estate in the commune of St-Médard-d’Eyrans, which borders the slightly better known commune of Martillac. Both communes are, of course, eligible for the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Although visiting the estate it feels rather isolated, just 1.3 kilometres to the north, on the far side of the Ruisseau du Nouchet, sit the principal domaines of Martillac, namely Château La Garde and Château Latour-Martillac. Walk in that direction and you will also pass the now defunct Château Haut Nouchet, the vines of which were acquired by Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, and which provide fruit for that estate’s ‘second’ wine. It is worth noting that Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion also has a winemaking facility here, just on the periphery of the Cruzeau vineyard.
André Lurton acquired a vineyards which had once been as large as 30 hectares, but he clearly had no intent of working within this limit. By the early 1980s, less than a decade after the purchase, he was tending a vineyard of 36 hectares. Today the property covers an even more impressive 98 hectares.
Of this 71 hectares are planted to red varieties, a mix of 54% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère. In addition there are 27 hectares dedicated to white varieties, or should I say variety, because – historically at least – all the André Lurton white vineyards have focused purely on Sauvignon Blanc, as he was no fan of Semillon or the other white cultivars common in the region.
Please log in to continue reading: