Chateau Les Croisille

About

In 1979, Bernard and Cécile Croisille moved to Fages with a passion for working the land, a dream of building a life around this passion, and little else. They became tenant farmers of a parcel that had been left untouched for years, investing all their labor and capital into clearing, preparing, planting, and maintaining 7 hectares of vines. In 1984 they brought their first yield to the Parnac winemaking cooperative, and continued to work with the co-op for a decade, until their drive pushed them to develop their own vinification processes. Over the next ten years they discovered and experimented with different winemaking and aging techniques for the region’s singular and characteristically tannic grape, Malbec. This included trialing a variety of maturing vessels such as steel, oak, concrete, sandstone, and clay. Towards the end of the 2000s they purchased and restored an old viticultural estate by raising money through donations from family, friends and clients. Since 2008 a new generation has joined the team, with the contributions of their sons, Simon and Germain. Their dynamic energy has led to additional plantings at higher elevation sites and the introduction of a vin de soif for everyday drinking.