Château de Cruzeau

Identity

Château de Cruzeau is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Saint-Médard-d'Eyrans, in the Gironde département. The estate is managed by the André Lurton family, with Jacques Lurton serving as president of the family vineyards.

History and philosophy

The history of Château de Cruzeau dates back to the 17th century, founded by Jacques de Cruzeau. The estate has passed through various hands, including the Cante family in the 19th century. In 1841, the property was elevated to the rank of premier cru of the commune for both its red and white wines, producing around fifteen tonneaux at the time. André Lurton discovered this terroir in 1973 and acquired the estate in 1975. An ageing cellar with a capacity of two thousand barrels was built in 2001. Since 2019, Jacques Lurton, one of André Lurton's seven children, has served as president of the family vineyards.

The estate is committed to an environmentally friendly approach, reflected in its HVE Level 3 certification obtained in 2017. This philosophy includes halting chemical weed control, introducing fallow cover crops between the vine rows, and planting fruit trees and diverse hedgerows. Five hectares are also farmed using biocontrol methods.

Appellations

Château de Cruzeau produces red and white wines under the Pessac-Léognan appellation. The estate is located on the edge of Saint-Médard-d’Eyrans, in the southern part of the Pessac-Léognan appellation within the Graves region.

Practical information

Château de Cruzeau is located at 1, allée de Cruzeau, 33650 Saint-Médard-d'Eyrans. The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 (0)5 56 64 75 87 or by email at lalouviere@andrelurton.com. Direct cellar-door sales and tastings are available on site. Tours of the château are not offered. Languages spoken are English and French.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château de Cruzeau vineyard covers nearly 60 hectares—specifically 60.93 hectares—within a total estate of 98 hectares. It is planted on deep gravel soils, with parcels generally enjoying full southern exposure. The area dedicated to red grape varieties is around 42 hectares, while 12.5 hectares are devoted to white grape varieties. The red grape variety planting comprises 54% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère. For the white wines, the vineyard is planted to 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Flagship cuvées

The estate offers a red cuvée, Château de Cruzeau Rouge, crafted from a blend of the property's red grape varieties. For white wines, Château de Cruzeau Blanc is made predominantly from Sauvignon Blanc. Château de Quantin, also a still white wine, is another estate bottling where Sauvignon Blanc is the dominant grape variety.

Vinification and ageing

The red wines of Château de Cruzeau undergo 12 months of barrel ageing, with 30 to 40% new oak. The white wines are aged on their lees in barrels for 10 months.