Château La Croizille
AOC Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Château La Croizille, acquired by the De Schepper family in 1996, is in an outstanding location in the heart of the legendary Saint-Émilion appellation. The vineyard consists of a single block of vines grown on slopes on the Saint-Émilion clay-limestone plateau, nestled in a cirque 30 to 70 metres above sea level, adjacent to Château Tour Baladoz, in Saint-Laurent des Combes, between Tertre Roteboeuf and Troplong Mondot.

Since acquiring Château La Croizille, the family have focused on producing an outstanding wine combining a great terroir with state-of-the-art technology and traditional expertise. In April 2013, a new cellar was completed at Château La Croizille, which meets the strictest technical specifications and features a tasting room overlooking the valley, showcasing the superb surrounding landscape.

Wine Tourism

Positioned side by side on the crest of slopes in the heart of Saint-Émilion, Châteaux La Croizille and Tour Baladoz offer superb panoramic views. Our immersive Bordeaux wine experience includes a tour of the traditional cellar at Château Tour Baladoz.

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The vineyard

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Jean-Michel Garcion

SURFACE 5,05 ha

SOILS

The vines are grown on clay-limestone, marl, blue and red clay soil on limestone rock.



GRAPE VARIETIES
85% Merlot 
10% Cabernet Sauvignon 
5% Cabernet Franc

AGE OF THE VINES
35 years on average

DENSITE 6.100 vines/ha

YIELD 40hl/ha on average

VITICULTURE

Traditional, sustainable winegrowing methods are used, including bud thinning, suckering, green harvesting and leaf thinning, ensuring the greatest respect for the soil, vines, and beneficial fauna (the vineyard is certified ISOO 14001 and HEV: high environmental value). Manual Harvest. 

 

Château La Croizille

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

A resolutely modern wine

The low yield of the oldest vines in the vineyard, followed by drastic selection throughout the year, guarantee a wine like no other Saint-Émilion. The very unusual blend at Château la Croizille consists of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend may vary from one vintage to the next, with up to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2010 and 2012 vintages.

The grapes are manually sorted twice, followed by mechanical and optical sorting. They are then cooled before transfer to temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats via gravity flow. The wine is fermented in small vats for closer monitoring of individual grape varieties and vineyard plots.

The wine stays on the skins for 3 to 5 weeks: cold pre-fermentation maceration, followed by alcoholic fermentation and maceration with regular pumping over.

It is then aged for 18 to 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels from 10 different cooperages.

This remarkable wine is an inky colour, and has an attractive black fruit nose with toasty overtones. Rich, complex and delicious, it offers an impressive balance between great substance, smooth, elegant tannin, and intense, attractive flavours.

AWARDS AND MEDALS

2018

 JAMES PETER MOSER, FALSTAFF

93

Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Zart rauchig unterlegtes frisches Waldbeerkonfit, rote Herzkirschen, feine Edelholzwürze. Saftig, rote Herzkirschen, dezente Extraktsüße, reife, tragende Tannine, kalkig-mineralisch im Abgang, zeigt gute Länge, verfügt über Entwicklungspotenzial.

 

 JAMES SUCKLING

92/93 pts

Very pretty depth and intensity to this medium-to full-bodied red. Soft and silky tannins. Flavorful finish. Another complete and pretty 2018. (en Primeurs)

BERNARD BURTSCHY, LE FIGARO

90-91

Le vin est élaboré avec 70% merlot et 30% cabernet-sauvignon pour ce vin très noir avec de jolis arômes élégants. Le vin est ferme et élégant, doté d'une belle trame tannique avec de la pureté. Il lui faudra un peu de temps pour absorber son cabernet-sauvignon. (en Primeurs)

terre de vin

90

Déjà ouvert et généreux, ce vin profond et voluptueux s'exprime sur un fruit mûr, encadré dans les tanins d'un bois neuf soigneusement intégré, pour un style opulent pour une expression riche du millésime 2018. (en Primeurs)

2017

 JAMES SUCKLING

93 pts

This has a bold, upbeat feel with plenty of rich, toasty oak, played into fresh red and dark plums. The palate texture is quite smooth and the balance is good here, too. Drink or hold. 

2016

 James Suckling

93 pts

Tight and focused, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. (en Primeurs)

2015

 Coupe des Crus de Saint-Emilion 2018

Coup de Cœur

2015

Yves Beck

92-93

Pourpre violacé. Notes de lard fumé. Myrtille, menthe. Thé noir. Attaque suave révélant du fruit et des notes de craie. Finale fruitée. Le vin a du gras et du jus. Les tannins sont granuleux et en symbiose avec la structure acide. Je relève un peu d'amertume en fin de bouche, mais le fruit parvient à prendre le dessus. Finale fruitée, de bonne intensité. 2022-2037 (avril 2016)

Bernard Burtschy, Le Figaro

16/20

La robe de La Croizille est noire avec un nez intense, réglisse et boisé. Le vin est ample, droit, bien constitué avec une belle rondeur qui masque sa structure tannique. 3-12 ans. (en Primeurs)

 

2005

  Decanter.com

5 stars/5 Outstanding

Rich, charred oak. Pleasing notes of fruitcake and dried fruit, good Saint-Emilion typicity. Very direct on palate, great purity of fruit. Lovely freshness, grainy tannins. Lasts forever, an exceptional wine. Drink 2013-23.

The winery THE WINEMAKER SPEAKS

"Oak should be the wine's best friend – it should show off its best qualities, rather than overpowering it"

We go one step further in our barrel ageing techniques, making every effort to achieve the perfect balance between fruit and oak.

We work with around ten coopers and each grape variety is divided equally among 5 to 7 different barrels for ageing. We aim to work in close partnership with all of our coopers. While a certain barrel may be perfectly suited to Merlot wines grown on sandy soils, it may be less appropriate for Château La Croizille wines, grown primarily on clay-limestone soils. Likewise, while another barrel might be ideal for wines from warm, sunny vintages, it may be less appropriate for those produced in wet years. We therefore decided to compile a database of vintages, coopers, toasting levels, grape varieties and terroirs. We place our orders as early as July, when we have a good indication of the upcoming vintage, but the toast is only decided once the grapes are in vat.

Once the wines have finished ageing, a tasting panel fine-tunes the blend according to the wine's particular characteristics. Château La Croizille wines are aged in 100% new oak barrels to fully express their personality.

While this ageing technique is expensive and complicated, it enhances our wines, making the most of their inherent qualities. With an impressive range of potential combinations, deciding on the final blend is not a straightforward process for winemakers. The aim is not simply to make a wine, but also to preserve its natural character, unlike Champagne houses that produce the same blends each year. Our main mission is to ensure that the end product expresses both terroir and vintage.

 

 TECHNICAL SHEET

Château La Croizille Baladeau

AOC Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

A Saint-Émilion Grand Cru made to the highest standards

The Baladeau cuvée is produced in small quantities at Château La Croizille. The batches are chosen according to the vintage to create a truly fine, flavoursome, charming, and elegant Saint-Émilion Grand Cru.

The grapes are manually sorted twice, followed by mechanical and optical sorting. They are then cooled before transfer to temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats via gravity flow. The wine is fermented in small vats for closer monitoring of individual grape varieties and vineyard plots.

The wine stays on the skins for 3 to 5 weeks: cold pre-fermentation maceration, followed by alcoholic fermentation and maceration with regular pumping over.

It is then aged for 12 months in oak barrels and 8 months in stainless steel vats.

This wine is an intense ruby-red with an expressive black fruit nose and toasty notes. It is smooth on the palate and features fine tannin. The Merlot comes through beautifully and is underpinned by expert barrel ageing, where well-integrated oak lends the wine its roundness. The overall result is a rich, dense, complex wine.

AWARDS AND MEDALS

2015

International Wine Challenge Vienna 2017

Médaille d’Or

The winery THE WINEMAKER SPEAKS
 TECHNICAL SHEET

Les terrasses de la Croizille

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

A tremendously round wine

The second wine of Château La Croizille is aged with the same attention to detail as the first. It is primarily made from Merlot grown on the youngest vines, particularly those planted on five terraces on the Saint-Émilion clay-limestone plateau. The percentage of new barrels is lower and varies according to the vintage.

The grapes are manually sorted twice, followed by mechanical and optical sorting. They are then cooled before transfer to temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats via gravity flow. The wine is fermented in small vats for closer monitoring of individual grape varieties and vineyard plots.

The wine stays on the skins for 3 to 5 weeks: cold pre-fermentation maceration, followed by alcoholic fermentation and maceration with regular pumping over.

It is then aged for 12 months in oak barrels and 8 moths in stainless steel vats.

The wine has a pleasant red fruit bouquet. Full-bodied and rich on the palate, it gives the impression of eating fresh grapes. Refined oaky influences complete the wonderful diversity of flavours and long aftertaste which invites another sip.

AWARDS AND MEDALS

 

The winery THE WINEMAKER SPEAKS
 TECHNICAL SHEET
Merci de patienter