Château du Cros

The estate

From the hillside of Château du Cros the view runs to the château of Cadillac, the church of Barsac and the rise of Sauternes, with Château d’Yquem on top. Charles Cocks and Édouard Féret, whose Bordeaux et ses vins was the reference book of the Bordeaux trade, listed Château du Cros among the principal proprietors of Loupiac from 1868, under the de La Chassaigne family, with 35 tonneaux (the old Bordeaux measure of a crop, 900 liters, or 4 barrels) of red and 50 of white in 1874. The comte de La Chassaigne, president of the regional agricultural syndicate of Cadillac and Podensac, won gold medals for its white at Bordeaux in 1895 and at Paris in 1900; by 1922 the owner was F. Thévenot.

The Boyer family has owned it since 1917. Catherine Boyer, the 4th generation, runs the estate and makes its wines; her first vintage was the 1996. The family’s Vignobles Boyer also owns Château Haut Mayne at Cérons, bought by Michel Boyer in 1972, and Château de Courbon at Toulenne.

The soils are clay and limestone over a subsoil entirely of limestone. Château du Cros Loupiac comes from 47 hectares of vines 60 years old on average, picked by hand in successive passes and aged 12 months in barrel, 1 third of the barrels new each year. Parcelle 1907 is 100% Sémillon from 1.58 hectares planted in 1907, vines more than 100 years old kept apart and aged 16 months in barrel, 30% new, for 1,200 to 3,000 bottles. The range holds 2 more Loupiacs, Fleur de Cros and Les Côteaux de L., as well as Bordeaux, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux and Graves.

At a glance

Appellation

Loupiac

Commune

Loupiac

Classification

No classification

Owners

The Boyer family, since 1917

Direction

Catherine Boyer, the 4th generation, from the 1996 vintage

Vineyard

47 hectares for the Loupiac, vines 60 years old on average; 1.58 hectares of Sémillon planted in 1907

Ground

Clay and limestone over limestone

Cellar

Picked by hand in successive passes; 12 months in barrel, 1 third new; Parcelle 1907, 16 months, 30% new

Wines

Château du Cros Loupiac; Parcelle 1907; Fleur de Cros; Les Côteaux de L.

The house

Vignobles Boyer: also Château Haut Mayne, Cérons, and Château de Courbon, Toulenne

In history

Among the principal proprietors of Loupiac from 1868; gold medals at Bordeaux in 1895 and Paris in 1900

Sources: Château du Cros, the Loupiac · Château du Cros, Parcelle 1907 · Château du Cros, visits · Château du Cros, Château Haut Mayne · Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux, Catherine Boyer of Château du Cros · Vignerons Indépendants, Château du Cros