Château Le Crock: Vineyards
Château Le Crock sits between Château Cos d’Estournel and Château Montrose, on the same broad expanse of gravel, most of which is derived from Terrace 3. Indeed, it is impossible not to spot the château if travelling between these two second growths, as it occupies a reasonably prominent position overlooking its vines to one side of the road. Of the two it is closest to Cos d’Estournel, from which it is separated by the aforementioned marsh which cuts into the gravel landscape here, and also by the Médoc’s only railway line. By the way, if driving along this road, don’t hit the railway line too hard; it provides a vicious bump which will test your suspension to the limit.
While Le Crock appears to sit here in isolation, nestled between vines and trees, in truth it rests on the periphery of the viticultural hamlet of Marbuzet. Head a few hundred metres further into the centre and you will chance across the hamlet’s only other property of note, which is Château Haut-Marbuzet. Next-door to this, obscured from view by trees, sits Château Marbuzet, which as noted in my history on the preceding page is a Reybier possession, the cellars utilised by the team from Cos d’Estournel for their white wines.
The soils underfoot are worthy of consideration. Despite St Estèphe’s reputation for having heavier clay soils, a visit to the region quickly illustrates that many vineyards here are in fact blessed with inordinate amounts of Terrace 3 gravel. This is certainly true here at Château Le Crock, the soils carpeted with a dense layer of grey-white gravel (pictured below).
