André Crochet and Lucien Picard, were winegrowers in the region of Sancerre. In fact, in the early 1950s, Lucien Picard was one of the pioneers of bottling and selling Sancerre wines in France. Lucien Crochet, André's son was the one who merged the two estates together. He developed relationships with the finest restaurants in Paris and naturally export markets followed.
Today, the domaine is run by Gilles and Laurence Crochet (Laurence is the daughter of a Sancerre grower), adding their own approach and to the style of the wines, always maintaining the history of the domaine.
Their vineyards cover a surface area of 35 hectares, 26 of which are planted with Sauvignon Blanc grapes for white wines and 9 hectares with Pinot Noir for reds and rosé. Most of the vines are in Bué, though they also have plots in the adjacent communes of Sancerre, Crézancy and Vinon.
The wealth of Crochet's vineyards is linked to their soils, which over-lie calcareous clay rock and an Oxfordian or Kimmeridgian subsoil. The plots are located on east, south and west-facing slopes at altitudes varying between 240 and 280 metres, which allows them to harvest the grapes when they are at their optimum peak of ripeness. These are some of the top examples of great Sancerre, in white, red and rosé. Don't miss out on these wines, they are quite rare.
Monts Damnés is one of the most famous vineyards in all Sancerre, and is owned by some of the most notable producers in the region. Pascal's version is probably the...
