COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2018
GRAPE
Cabernet Franc
PRODUCER
Domaine de Pallus
REGION
Loire
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Full
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Long
Intensity
Pronounced
Tannins
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Domaine de Pallus, located in Cravant-les-Côteaux, has been in the Sourdais family since 1889. In 2005, Bertrand Sourdais returned to his family estate after a highly successful decade in Spain, where he co-founded Dominio de Atauta in Ribera del Duero. Inspired by his experiences and the parcel-focused hierarchy of Burgundy, Bertrand set out to redefine Chinon. He transitioned the estate to biodynamic farming and began isolating the finest hillside parcels to craft terroir-driven single-vineyard wines. La Croix Boissée is one of Chinon's most legendary sites, situated on a steep, south-facing slope with deep Turonian limestone soils. This exceptional terroir yields a Cabernet Franc of remarkable structure, mineral drive, and longevity, representing the pinnacle of the appellation.
ALCOHOL
14.0%
AVG. PRICE
€45
STYLE
Classic
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
16-18°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Winemaker Bertrand Sourdais returned to Chinon after making legendary wines at Dominio de Atauta in Spain's Ribera del Duero.
Fact 02
La Croix Boissée is sourced from a tiny single-parcel micro-plot measuring only 0.51 hectares, yielding just 10 barrels annually.
Fact 03
The vines were planted in 1974 using massale selection on a steep, south-facing slope of pure Turonian limestone.
Fact 04
The estate has been fully certified organic and biodynamic, completely transitioning in 2009.
FOOD PAIRING
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WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process for La Croix Boissée is designed to let the unique tuffeau limestone terroir express itself fully. Grapes are hand-harvested from a tiny 0.51-hectare parcel of massale selection vines planted in 1974. The fruit is 100% destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in open 30-hectoliter wooden vats. Maceration is extended, lasting between 18 and 25 days to gently extract structure and depth. The wine is then aged for 18 months in neutral Burgundy French oak barrels. The use of older wood is a deliberate choice to prevent oak flavors from masking the pure, chalky minerality of the site. The wine is bottled with minimal intervention.
