Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Franc
The most famous cuvée from Clos Cristal, the cuvée "Les Murs (The Walls)," advances the maturity of the grapes by, on average, 3 to 4 weeks by allowing the vines go through and run up the sides of the walls. Achieving the proper maturity is especially pertinent in cooler years or in years with less favourable weather conditions. Antoine Cristal, around the year 1900, built the special walls with holes all along at mid height so that the roots would stay cool on the North side and the foliage and grapes would enjoy the sun and the positive thermal inertia of the other side of the wall. A "one-of-a-kind" wine, the Clos Cristal gained ultimate recognition by order on the 22nd of March, 2011, when it was recognized as an official historic monument.
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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.
