Château Croix de Labrie
A Saint-Emilion Grand Cru where work and wines are jewellery!
The Château Croix de Labrie is a small vineyard-garden located on Saint-Christophe des Bardes, AOC Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. Created in the early 90’s by Michel Puzio, it was bought in 2013 by Pierre and Axelle Courdurié.
Currently the property covers 3.5 hectares divided into two main parcels. Some acres located in the Entre-deux-Mers allow them, in addition to the range, to produce a small quantity of white wine. In this family business, Pierre Courdurié takes care of all the Marketing & Commerce and Axelle takes care of the vineyard and the winery.
Each year the property produces an average of 9,000 bottles of Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (three labels: Château Croix de Labrie and Chapelle de Labrie, Les Hauts de Croix Labrie) and 1,600 bottles of white wine (Stella Solare). This year a new vintage 100% Chardonnay will also be released (Camille de Labrie). Let’s go together to meet Axelle and Pierre Courdurié, a passionate couple …
Why did you choose to buy a winery / make wine?
“It’s a common project we’ve had for many years. We met in the USA in 1994. At that time Axelle vinified for a winery near Seattle (Washington State). When we returned to Bordeaux she wanted to work in a vineyard but it was quite complicated because she was not from here, a woman, and did not know anyone. She left to work in another sector (BTP) with the idea of returning to the vineyard as soon as possible. Personally I already worked in the wine sector, I take care of the distribution-export for a large area of the medoc.
So it was a while that we had the plan to take over a domain and then one day we really started. We were looking primarily for a terroir and preferred the Right Bank of Bordeaux because we wanted a vineyard on a human scale, small and close to the spirit of Burgundy / family business.
One day when we were traveling to Singapore we heard about this property, it seemed to perfectly match us. On the way back we went to meet the Château Croix de Labrie … that was exactly what Axelle wanted, a garden vineyard! We never left … “(Axelle & Pierre Courdurié)
“We want our wines to reflect the terroirs that produced them.
We also want them to look like us. “
Where does the name of the property come from?
“The name comes from the name of a place called Saint-Emilion. Château Croix de Labrie was in the 1990s’, with Château Vallandraud / Jean-Luc Thunevin, one of the first garage wines created. » (Axelle & Pierre Courdurié)
What is the signature of Château Croix de Labrie wines?
“The wines, in Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOC, from Croix Labrie always have a very Pomerol side. They are very fresh, balanced, very elegant and especially on the ends of mouth. They are never in opulence. They are really marked by their terroir. Even on old vintages there is a Pomerol side. ”
What makes the specificity of your terroir (s) ?
“For our red wines we have 2 main plots, one is located on Saint Christophe des Bardes, the other is at the foot of Château Pavie. The first offers a very deep clay-limestone soil with limestones in asteri (small fossilized shells in limestone). This parcel brings to our wines depth (clays) as well as a lot of freshness (limestones). The second plot, at the foot of Pavia, is composed of clay, limestone but also sand and iron soil. It is an extraordinary terroir especially for Merlots. This terroir gives us finesse, freshness and a lacy side. It does not bring this depth in the mouth that one has on the first parcel but it brings more elegance as well as more acidity.
Another important thing here, we do not do big extractions. We prefer to make room for freshness, balance and not over-extraction.
Also, we have an organic approach but we are not yet certified. For example we do not use inputs and we plow the soil with the help of a horse … We are launching the certification application this year. ” (Axelle & Pierre Courdurié)
If you had to define the property, its wines and its atmosphere in a few words what would you say?
“Château Croix de Labrie is one of the few properties in Saint-Emilion to work with an approach to Burgundy (each terroir has its own wine). We work our vineyard like a garden, paying great attention to the terroirs, at each vine to express to the maximum the potential of each of our soils. We can do it because we are small. Indeed if we had 30 hectares it would be much more complicated to do. To summarize I would say: attention / care, sense of detail, softness and a human touch. » (Axelle & Pierre Courdurié)
“Being a winemaker is a lot of passion, time and observation”
Do you have any special projects for the property?
“Yes, we are currently transforming part of the main building, a Bordeaux’Chartreuse house style, to offer to tourists two guest rooms in the heart of our vineyard. In the long term we would also like to renovate the winery. » (Axelle & Pierre Courdurié)
I can only recommend going to see them or at least to taste their wines!
Thanks to Pierre and Axelle Courdurié for their warm welcome!
Choukroun Chicheportiche Jonathan
Château Croix de Labrie
8 Peymouton Sud
33330 St Christophe des Bardes
www.chateau-croix-de-labrie.fr
