Chateau Le Crock Saint-Estephe 2017
| Grape: |
52% Cabernet Sauvignon 8% Petit Verdot |
| Vineyard: | Chateau Le Crock |
| Origin: | Bordeaux, France |
| Vintage: | 2017 |
| ABV%: | 13% |
| Colour: | Garnet in colour with youthful ruby-purple hues. |
| Aromas: | Deeply perfumed on the nose with sumptuous aromas of mulberry, chocolate, wild rose, and salty plum. |
| Flavours: | Both light and intense on the palate, with a juicy fruit core of mulberry, plum and cherry. This unctuous fruit is framed by fine grained tannins and Wilyabrup earth, ironstone, and dust, which expresses the heat of the vintage and complements the concentration of the fruit. |
Nestled in Saint-Estèphe, Château Le Crock is a distinguished Cru Bourgeois estate, flanked by the renowned second growths: Château Montrose to its north and Château Cos d’Estournel to its south. The estate's history traces back to the late 19th century when it was surrounded by flourishing vines. Originally dubbed 'Cru de Croc' in homage to the region's unique stony and gravelly terrain, its name evolved to Château Le Crock by 1880. The Cuvelier family, its stewards since 1903, have infused the property with enhancements, drawing from their experiences with their other esteemed estates, such as Château Léoville Poyferré and Château Moulin Riche.
Vineyard
Situated within the Saint-Estèphe appellation, Château Le Crock's vineyards cover an expanse of 32 hectares. These vineyards are rooted in gravelly soils layered over clay and are home to grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. With an average age of 40 years, these sustainably cultivated vines are trained using the double Guyot method.
2017 Vintage
In 2017, Saint-Estèphe stood out remarkably by evading the frosts that plagued much of Bordeaux. After an exceptionally dry fall and winter, the warmth of February initiated an early budding towards the close of March. The vineyards' closeness to the Gironde river shielded them from the late frosts of April. With rains in June and consistent favorable conditions in the summer, the fruiting was promising, and the onset of ripening was about eight to ten days ahead of the norm. This year also marked one of the earliest harvests, yielding wines with deep hues, harmonious balance, and a pronounced flavor profile complemented by refreshing acidity.
Winemakers Highlights
Harvesting was done manually, with grapes carefully placed in compact crates. A thorough sorting followed before the fermentation process in stainless steel tanks with regulated temperatures. Post-fermentation, the wine was shifted to French oak barrels, of which 33% were new, for a maturation period of 18 months.