A historical
estate
A Historical Château
Built by the Merman family at the beginning of the 19th century, this magnificent Bordeaux stone building is unique in the Médoc and is listed as a regional heritage site.
A UNIQUE NAME
The name croq or croc is a particularly evocative place name. Cros or crot in Gascon means “a hollow, a cave”.
In Occitan, crau means “a plain covered with cail-loux” and krawc, crauc or craouc, a pre-Roman etymology, means “the hollow between the stones”. This explanation supports another version: Croc comes from “hook”.
In fact, Château Le Crock and its vineyard, planted on the heights, dominate a depression linked to the presence of the “Marais du Croc”, which forms an opening in the shape of a cul-de-sac or a hook, and which opens onto the marshes of Lafite and Cos.
THE MERMAN FAMILY
In 1788, Pierre Merman, a bourgeois from Bordeaux, bought the land on which the estate now stands.
He belonged to this new wealthy class, which had made its fortune in the colonial and wine trades and which was the successor to the aristocracy of the robes. This was the heyday of the Chartrons.
Both owners and brokers, the Mermans, with their knowledge of wine and its markets, helped to establish the reputation of their Saint-Estèphe cru throughout the 19th century.
For more than a century, they kept their estate, known as the Cru de Merman, in the family, with three generations investing in the development of the vineyard.
Pierre Merman had the first building constructed at the end of the 18th century, which was embellished and extended in the second half of the 19th century. The construction of the building was adapted to the topography and placed on the slope of a vineyard ridge that dominates the large park to the south.
THE CUVELIER FAMILY
The Cuvelier Family has always been driven by two ambitions, those of pioneers and builders. Visionaries, they also longed to be producers, building upon their already well established business as Wine Merchants in the North of France.
Chateau Le Crock was the ouverture at the beginning of the 20th century, closely followed by Chateau Léoville Poyferré and Chateau Moulin Riche in 1920.
Their sights stretched as far as the Argentine horizon, where they established a vineyard “from the ground up” towards the end of the century, Cuvelier Los Andes. Throughout the years, each generation has contributed to the family’s tradition of making great, yet accessible wines.
However, Château Le Crock has always remained a favourite place for family gatherings. Dinners with cousins, summer holidays, weddings where the rooms are overflowing with guests, or meals in complete conviviality. The kitchen, with its impressive fireplace, is the ideal place to open a few bottles from the cellar.
2020, “CRU BOURGEOIS EXCEPTIONNEL”
Recognised as an Exceptional Cru Bourgeois in the latest Classification of Crus Bourgeois published in February 2020.
This award recognises more than 100 years of commitment and daily work to ensure that quality and consistency are expressed in each vintage.
Aware of the challenges of tomorrow, we are continuing our environmental efforts to enhance the exceptional terroirs where our vines thrive.
