When internationally recognized winemaker Paul Hobbs and 4th generation Cahors vintner Bertrand Gabriel Vigouroux decided to work together, they set out to offer a new interpretation of the Malbec of Cahors, melding modernity and tradition. This collaboration between the new and the old world became Crocus wines, a quest to redefine Malbec in its birthplace. Crocus wines take their name from the famed Crocus Sativus flower, prized for producing the spice saffron. The Crocus flower has been grown and harvested in the Cahors region since the 14th century.

Since Roman times, Cahors was a thriving city and wine producer, achieving recognition and far-reaching distribution of their ‘black wines’ across Europe and Russia. By the Middle Ages it was the largest wine producing region in France, exceeding Bordeaux. However, starting in 1241 the economy was gradually restricted by major events such as Bordeaux limiting year round access to its ports and increasing taxes, the French Revolution and World War I and II. In 1876, Cahors was further crippled by a series of natural disasters which ultimately led to the decline of Cahors ability to continue to prosper as a leading producer of wine.