Château Les Trois Croix
From a topographical point of view, it is fair to say large parts of Bordeaux have a rather featureless landscape, most pointedly the vineyards of the Médoc which quietly undulate along the banks of the Gironde. There is no craggy mountain of granite here, as we find in the appellation of Hermitage. No great escarpment of limestone pointing skywards, like that which towers over vineyards of Mâcon. And no sweeping vistas of vertiginous slopes coated with vines, like those we find along the banks of the Rhine and the Mosel.
This view of Bordeaux is a blinkered one though, as while the Médoc does not offer the walkers and climbers among us any great challenge, the vineyards of the right bank can provide more interest. Fronsac in particular offers some steep slopes (I know, I have run up and down a few of them), the land ascending quickly from the banks of the Isle, or the flood plain of the Dordogne, up to the plateau above. I admit they might not quite match the spectacle that is the Hill of Hermitage or the Roche de Solutré, but at the very least they disprove the notion the entire region is featureless.
Such steep slopes of clay and limestone, and the plateau atop them, are of course ideal for viticulture, the exposure and unparalleled drainage both perfect for the cultivation of the vine. This no doubt explains the long history of viticulture here, in what was a prestigious region until it was usurped by the upstarts next-door, namely St Emilion and Pomerol. There are numerous châteaux of note dotted around these slopes, and one of the more significant can be found sitting atop one of the appellation’s higher points, looking out across the valley of the Isle to Libourne and the vineyards of Pomerol beyond. The property in question is Château Les Trois Croix.
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