A balcony over the Garonne
The Sainte-Croix-du-Mont appellation covers the commune of the same name, on the right bank of the Garonne, facing Sauternes country. Its vines line the river from a spectacular promontory, whose subsoil holds a geological curiosity rare among vineyards.
The terroir: a cliff of fossil oysters
The cliff of Sainte-Croix-du-Mont reveals, from top to bottom, a veritable geological cross-section: Pliocene clay-and-gravel deposits, then a spectacular layer of fossil oysters beneath the village, Miocene sandy limestone, grey marls, and finally the Oligocene 'calcaire à astéries' limestone. This oyster bed — shells accumulated millions of years ago — is the signature of the terroir: a limestone subsoil, well-drained and cool, ideal for sweet-wine vines.
Noble rot and style
As throughout the area, the wine is born of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea), which concentrates sugar, acidity and glycerol within the berry. Dominated by sémillon, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont wines meet the standards and styles of Sauternes, with a finesse all their own. These are sweet wines with fine cellaring potential — several decades for the best examples — often offering remarkable value for money.