L'HEXAGONE CAVE À VIN IS AN EXCLUSIVE WINE IMPORT AND RETAIL OPERATION THAT WORKS WITH ONLY THE HIGHEST QUALITY WINE PRODUCERS FROM FRANCE.

Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Franc

The 10 hectares of vineyard which make up the Clos Cristal were bequeathed to Saumur Hospital by its founder, Antoine Cristal in 1928.

The Clos Cristal is historically symbolic for local wine growers, not only because Antoine Cristal was the first to develop red wines in Saumur, but also because it was here, in around 1900, that he developed an original and ingenious method of growing vines along and through 3 kilometers of walls. The vine takes full advantage of the heat accumulated by the stone, and the fruit ripens earlier.

The vines are situated in one south facing plot. The soil is a rare and fragile composition of sand on limestone which warms quickly but gives low yields, around thirty-five hectolitres per hectare.

The vineyard is run on a strictly organic basis respecting the soil, the vines and their ecosystem to develop and maintain a balanced environment. Work is done by hand with the help of three horses.

No yeast, sugar, chemical products or temperature control are used in vinification making the process as natural as possible. Maceration is a minimum of 21 days. Each year Clos Cristal produces three cuvées, one of which is made exclusively from grapes picked along the famous walls.

No sulfur added.