Château de Cranne
Meeting with Vincent Lacoste, winegrower of Château de Cranne
Château de Cranne is a family wine property located in Donzac in AOC Cotes de Bordeaux. The vineyard extends over 45 hectares of vines, including 30 hectares in red and 15 hectares in white (dry and sweet). Château de Cranne was acquired by the Lacoste family in 1856, but traces of vineyards and work buildings testify to an older presence of vines and vinification. From this time the property has kept its management in polyculture (cereals, forests) even if the whole part except wines is entrusted to renting to professionals of the sector.
The property is currently managed by Vincent Lacoste representing the 6th generation of the family. As soon as he arrived as the head of the vineyard in 2005 he knew how to make his mark, going from the sale of 70% of wine to trade / bulk to 0%, going organic and decreasing the impact of oak on the wine. Today the property produces about 250,000 bottles of wine sold in some thirty countries. V.d.V.: What is the signature of the wines of Château de Cranne?
It’s not an easy question because I have a signature, I recognize it but I do not know how to describe it. I make wines in AOC Côtes de Bordeaux, AOC Loupiac and others in AOC Bordeaux.
For Côtes de Bordeaux wines I do not try to make wines in a modern, woody and opulent style. I do not particularly like wine too woody, the fruit must be put forward in a wine! What is important to me is acidity. What interests me in wines is the blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (often more Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot) because it gives a small austere side that I like as well as a complexity. My red wines are regularly marked with small animal notes, underbrush, licorice and mushroom. One usually has more notes of black fruits.
For my white and red wines in AOC Bordeaux they are more in a fruity style, frisky, more easy-drinking. In my white wines I have a lot of Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle that bring length, good material and fat.
Regarding my sweet wines in AOC Loupiac I have in my wines an important acidity which sometimes says that my Loupiac are more in a mellow than sweet. These are aromatic wines and all in balance.
V.d.V.: If you were to describe your passion for wine in a few words?
Travel, sharing, emotion
V.d.V.: Why did you choose Organic Farming?
I believed in organic farming. There is a growing market.It also gave us constraints that made us progress technically, learn and evolve. Today it is 10 years since we are in Bio but only 2 years that the Bio wine market really has been taking off. However, I do not want my wine to be reduced to organic. I want it to be chosen for what it is, for how it tastes, for its style.
V.d.V.: Do you have plans for the Château de Cranne? Yes, there are two main ones. The first is that we will start work at the property to create a reception area, tasting with the ultimate goal of… starting a wine tourism business.
The second project is the creation of a new wine range made in a more uncomplicated style compared to the image of Bordeaux, a style that resembles me.When my grandfather was at the head of the family vineyard he hired many Breton students for the harvest. Among them was Joel Auvin, a young man studying philosophy and who had some time … was also a journalist. He became well known and became famous thanks to his drawings. I have known him from a very young age and we have always had a strong bond of friendship. When I started thinking about this new range I asked him if he could make me some drawings for the labels. He accepted with pleasure and made me superb drawings that you will find on these new cuvées (one red, one white and one rosé) but also on our BIB.