Saumur-Champigny Les Murs Clos Cristal (Domaine) ----

Nothing seemed to predestine Antoine Cristal to a career in wine, yet this former textile merchant returned to his native region in 1980 and settled in the Saumur-Champigny appellation with a bold ambition: to craft great red wines capable of rivalling Bordeaux’s finest names. To this end, he acquired Château de Parnay, and set out to produce wines that were as natural as possible. Antoine Cristal planted his vines along the northern side of three kilometres of stone walls, pierced with openings that allow them to pass through so that the grape bunches ripen on the sun-drenched southern side. Having devised this ingenious system, which preserves freshness around the vine roots while allowing the fruit to benefit from the warmth and sunshine required to reach perfect ripeness, Antoine Cristal eventually handed the estate over to Éric Dubois. The latter has been tending the 10 hectares of sandy and limestone soils according to the same principles, certified organic since 2001.