2017 Château Le Crock, St Estèphe, Bordeaux: ‘delicious’ and ‘beautifully lifted’ says Jancis Robinson, ‘likely to be good value: and so it is—a shrewd buy for this quality of fine wine: textbook St-Estephe at a sensible price: single bottle delivered
£37.00
93/100 – Wine Enthusiast
92-93/100 – VertdeVin
91/100 – Andreas Larsson
Château Le Crock is one of the finest Cru Bourgeois properties in St Estèphe. Nestled in Saint-Estèphe, sandwiched between St Estephe royalty and recently upgraded to Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Chateau Le Crock is a smart choice, particularly at the Club price, which is exceptional for this quality of Bordeaux. Le Crock produces textbook St Estèphes which are deeply coloured and concentrated and full-bodied on the palate.
The estate’s history traces back to the late-19th century when it was dubbed ‘Cru de Croc’ in homage to the 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. Michel Rolland is a consultant.
In 2017, Saint-Estèphe stood out remarkably by evading the frosts that plagued much of Bordeaux, and the vintage is regarded as among the best for Le Crock. This wine is deeply perfumed, with sumptuous aromas of mulberry, chocolate, wild rose and salty plum. Both light and intense on the palate, with a juicy fruit core of mulberry, plum and cherry, tis unctuous fruit is framed by fine grained tannins, ironstone and dust, which expresses the heat of the vintage and complements the concentration of the fruit. It is medium bodied and finishes with herbs, bright fruit and a soft, polished touch.
Jancis Robinson MW (16.5 points) notes: ‘Mid cherry red. Subtle on the nose, a nice dusty touch. Beautifully lifted and fragrant. Juicy, supple and with lovely tangy dark-red fruit on the palate. Paper-fine tannins, in many layers, and a long, fresh, juicy finish. Fresh to a long finish. Delicious and likely to be good value.‘
Notes the influential VertdeVin, awarding 92-93/100 points, ‘The nose is fruity, elegant, gourmand and offers a fine suavity, a fine power as well as gourmand flavours. It reveals notes of ripe strawberry, fleshy/ripe cherry and notes of cassis associated with fine touches of violet, racy gravel as well as fine hints of sweet spices, vanilla pod and discreet hints of nutmeg. The mouth is fruity, well-balanced and offers a juicy frame and a good definition with notes of cherry, strawberry and small notes of raspberry associated with fine touches of violet, tonka bean and discreet hints of chocolate. Good length. Tannins are elegant and well-built. Good persistence.’
Notes the world’s leading sommelier Andreas Larsson (91/100 points): Dark ruby red colour. Pure nose, youthful and fragrant offering ripe plum, cassis, tobacco, sage and fine oak. The palate has good density with a well-kept freshness, rounded tannin and savoury dark fruit with bay leaf, sage, tobacco and fine oak notes. Digest, fresh and long finish.’
Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (93/100), adds: ‘This wine is structured and dense, with full-bodied black-plum flavours. Made by the winemaking team of Château Léoville-Poyferré in Saint-Julien, the wine has good ageing potential. Drink from 2023.’
This delicious wine is excellent served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish such as tuna, mushrooms, pasta and cheese. Seving at a cool, almost cellar temperature (15.5°C, 60°F) maximises the wine’s freshness and lift.
Cabernet Sauvignon (52%), Merlot (34%), Petit Verdot (8%), Cabernet Franc (6%).
Delivered as a single bottle in a presentation case, this fine wine makes a distinctive gift—it’s also a smart buy for yourself!
Single bottle. Non Members £57. CCUK £37 including UK mainland delivery.
Read on for more details . . .
Winemakers’ notes:
‘Like most of the best Médoc climates, the Chateau le Crock plots overlook the Gironde Estuary. The river acts as a natural thermal regulator, limiting temperature fluctuations and allowing the production of balanced wines from vintage to vintage. As the bottles improve with age, so do our vines.
‘For Jonathan Servant, our Vineyard Manager, this is an undeniable asset that contributes to the exceptional quality of our wines. The average age of our vineyard is 50 years, with most of the best plots planted just before the Second World War. The vines become less productive as they age, allowing us to focus on quality rather than quantity.
‘Since the arrival of Jonathan Servant in 2015, organic farming trials have been gradually introduced in the vineyard. Thanks to the experience gained over several years, Château Le Crock is now in the process of converting to organic farming.
‘The vineyard is planted with the four traditional Médoc grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. These four varieties offer numerous possibilities for blending after vinification of the different plots in the vineyard.
‘By far the most exciting time of the year! Determining the timing of the harvest is crucial to ensure that the fruit is picked at the optimum ripeness.
Daily tasting of the berries helps us to determine the order of the harvest, which then guides our pickers.
‘Once harvested and sorted, the grapes are vinified under the watchful eye of Yoann Lavigne, the cellar master. Vats of various sizes, made of stainless steel or concrete, all temperature controlled, allow for gentle extractions that bring out the characteristics of each vintage. With the precision of a metronome, Yoann regulates every detail with care and meticulousness so that everything works perfectly.
‘Isabelle Davin, who is also oenologist at Château Léoville Poyferré, passes on all her know-how with the same exacting standards as for the Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Julien.
‘After vinification, the young wines begin a long period of maturation, 12 to 15 months, which favours micro-oxygenation to soften the tannins and give a greater sensation of smoothness in the mouth.
‘The variety of barrels used allows a wide range of aromas to be expressed and the many nuances within a single vintage to be fully revealed.
Traditional 225-litre barrels and some 500-litre barrels, all made from French oak, 30% of which is renewed for each vintage. Clay amphorae are also used to enhance the fruit’s brilliance.
‘In 2017, once again, the Gironde estuary fully played its role as thermal regulator and thus protected our vineyards. Indeed, in April, thanks to its ideal geographical location, the terroir of Saint-Estèphe was spared from the frost that has so harshly marked the spirits of French winemakers. At Chateau Le Crock, we will remember the precocity of this vintage following on from the beautiful weather conditions in May and June. The lack of rainfall was made up during the summer, offering excellent maturity of the grapes in the end! The fatality of the number 7 is not verified in 2017…’
