At Lucien Crochet the emphasis is on creating wines of finesse and complexity that are faithful to both terroir and vintage. The vineyards are located around the towns of Bué, Sancerre and Crézancy, the finest of which is the limestone-based Chêne Marchand vineyard. Gilles Crochet, Lucien's son, makes the wines as naturally as possible using indigenous yeasts. Through hand picking, careful selection of the grapes and long, slow ageing 'sur lie', Lucien Crochet produces sophisticated and age-worthy Sancerre.      

29 hectares are planted with Sauvignon Blanc to produce their range of white wines. The remaining 9 hectares are planted with Pinot Noir which produces lovely Sancerre Rouge and a very small quantity of sensational Sancerre Rosé.   

Today's offer, the 'La Croix du Roy' Sancerre Rouge, is a blend of two terroirs: Oxfordian "caillottes" and Kimmeridgian "terres blanches". The fruit is sorted and completely destemmed prior to fermentation. Maturation takes place in both barrel and stainless steel prior to composing the final blend which spends an additional year in tank prior to bottling. Juicy red fruit and savoury herbs coupled with chalky minerality typify this wine year after year. Elegant, delicate and deliciously drinkable this is charming Pinot Noir from the Loire Valley.