A history of the Château
The name Château Croizet-Bages dates back to the 17th century when the Croizet brothers, an emblematic dynasty of the Médoc landed gentry, founded this wine estate in the heart of the Pauillac appellation.
Their knowledge and exceptional know-how helped them create a prestigious vineyard by consolidating several small vine plots throughout the appellation. In 1853, the famous Calvé family bought the property. As wine merchants in Bordeaux, they never ceased to raise the profile of their wine. In 1855, Château
Croizet-Bages was elevated to the fifth-growth status during the imperial classification. Then, the estate distinguished itself once again at the 1878 and 1889 Universal Exhibitions by its wines' quality, as displayed by the label's medals.
Severely hit by the major grapevine diseases of the early 20th century and its owners' successive bankruptcies, Château Croizet-Bages went through a difficult period until it was bought in 1942 by Mr Paul Quié. This renowned wine enthusiast and Paris wine merchant could catch a glimpse at this classified Grand Cru's lost nobility. Composed of parcels already planted with 1855 classified vines, Paul Quié recreated, little by little, an exceptional terroir even at the risk of reducing the surface area of his vineyard. Thus, at his death in 1968, the restructured vineyard counted 30 hectares encompassing the famous hamlet of Bages.
Then his son, Jean-Michel, took command of the vineyard, making it flourished by taking full advantage of this exceptional terroir. Under the influence of this man of character and conviction, the wine estate underwent a vast renovation programme, including the modernisation of the vinification building and complete replanting of the vineyard. This restructuring phase began just after the 1969 harvest when half of the vineyard got uprooted. The following years allowed our teams to outline the modern vineyard of today.
In 2000, his children, Anne-Françoise and Jean-Philippe, decided to take part in the family wine heritage. For 20 years now, they have continued to develop the Château by perpetuating the remarkable work carried out by previous generations. The grape variety selection and the parcelling out of the land progressively allow the identity of the great wine to be chiselled out.
The wine estate is currently undergoing further improvements, which are to be effectively operating in 2026. New technical installations are gradually rising, including new vathouse and barrel cellars to support the vine plot's specific-soil tillage carried out in the vineyard.
Year after year, Anne-Françoise and Jean-Philippe analyse, refine and improve each stage of our winemaking processes, rethinking them for prospective viticulture excellence. Because a family Grand Cru is, above all, a crossroad between exceptional terroirs and people who take the time to cherish them.
