Domaine Lucien Crochet

Both of Gilles Crochet’s grandfathers, André Crochet and Lucien Picard, were winegrowers. In the early 1950s, Lucien Picard was one of the pioneers to bottle Sancerre in the region and sell them in Paris. Gilles’ father, Lucien Crochet, merged the two estates together and developed relationships with the finest restaurants in Paris and began to export their wines. Today, Gilles and his wife Laurence, also a daughter of a Sancerre grower, oversee the estate.

The vineyards of Domaine Lucien Crochet cover 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, with some plots situated in the adjacent communes of Sancerre, Crézancy and Vinon. The soils overlie calcareous clay rock and an Oxfordian or Kimmeridgian subsoil. Plots are located on east, south and west-facing slopes at altitudes varying between 240 and 280 meters.