🌟 Crossover with Cordier Club Elite Series
🌟 Production from the Fifth Growth - Croizet Bages
🌟 Famous Pauillac wine region
🌟 Back vintage 2011
🌟 Retro wine bottle design
History
During the first half of the 18th century, the Croizet brothers, purchased several small parcels of Bordeaux vineyards to put together their own estate. Following the custom of the day, they named the estate combing their surname with the name of the area where the property was located and came up with Chateau Croizet Bages.
In 1853, Julien Calve bought the Bordeaux chateau and vines. The new owners changed the name to Calve-Croizet. A few years later, they renamed the property, Chateau Croizet Bages.
In 1875, the Calve family built a chateau for the property which was located away from the vines and close to the river in Pauillac. Eventually that chateau was sold and a smaller chateau was constructed in the vines.
After the first world war, an American, Jean-Baptiste Monnot, obtained Chateau Croizet Bages and kept the Left Bank property until 1942, when it was bought by Paul Quie, a Bordeaux negociant. Since 1968, his son Jean-Michel Quie has taken care of the Pauillac property and the production of their Bordeaux wine, Chateau Croizet Bages.
Today, the Quie family also owns Chateau Rauzan-Gassies in the Margaux appellation and Chateau Bel Orme Tronquoy de Lalande, a Cru Bourgeois estate in the Haut Medoc. The Quie family began a massive renovation of the Croizet Bages estate, wine making facilities and vineyards in 2013.
Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 30 hectare Medoc vineyard of Croizet Bages is planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. On average, the vines are close to 35 years of age. The vineyard has a terroir of gravel and sand soil on the Bages plateau.
The estate is not that from Chateau Lynch Bages or Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste. It is unusual in Pauillac, because the vineyard is situated on one large, contiguous parcel. The vineyard can be subdivided into at least 20 different parcel of vines.
During the 1980’s, much of the vineyard needed replanting. The previous vine density was 6,600 vines per hectare. Newer plantings were then placed at 8,000 vines per hectare.
Yields can be higher here than at most other classified, Pauillac estates as they are on average 55 hectoliters per hectare at Chateau Croizet Bages. Something else to consider, 50% of the Croizet Bages vineyard is harvested by machine.
The wine of Croizet Bages is vinified in traditional cement vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank. Prior to 1994, no new oak was used to age the wine. That is not the case today as now, the wine is aged in 25% new, French oak barrels for 12 months. There is a second wine, La Tourelle de Croizet Bages, which made its debut in 1998.
The Quie family also produces a negociant wine, La Chartreuse du Croizet Bages. On average, Chateau Croizet Bages produces close to 12,500 cases of wine per year.
