Clos Cristal
Clos Cristal, one of the Loire Valley’s most famous vineyards, has been in the ownership of the Centre Hospitalier de Saumur since 1928. When I first learnt of this fact I was mystified as to the exact nature of this Centre Hospitalier; it seemed like a rather grandiose name, and it was tempting to think of it as something akin to the Hospice de Beaune. Was it some sort of historical, semi-ecclesiastical institution, I wondered, once a valuable lifeline for the ill and the destitute but long made obsolete by the advances of 21st-century medicine? Or perhaps it was some sort of auction house, where barrels of wine are bought and sold, for hugely inflated sums? Or maybe it was a museum and tourist attraction, renowned for an intricately patterned and colourful roof?
As it turns out, none of these are true. In fact, it would be a challenge to think of any suggestions further from the truth, as the Centre Hospitalier de Saumur is one of the smartest hospital complexes in the Loire Valley. Located on the eastern edge of the town of Saumur, it offers a large range of medical and surgical services, and really looks the business, being housed in a very modern building. This is clearly no Medieval poorhouse, nor is it an auction house, nor some dusty museum. In this profile I explore how Clos Cristal came to be in the possession of the local hospital, and of course what it is that makes this vineyard and domaine so famous.
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