Moulis-en-Médoc

The vineyards of Moulins-en-Médoc: small in size but big in terms of their wines

Château Chasse-Spleen, Château Brillette, Maucaillou Castle or Château Poujeaux, names that are forever associated with remarkable Bordeaux Moulis wines. However, the Moulis-en-Médoc vineyard from which they originate represents only 4% of the vast Médoc vineyard. This shows the interest that should be paid to the wines produced on this small terroir, which stretches 7 km from east to west and covers a total of 610 hectares.

The wines of Moulis-en-Médoc, ancient expertise

Attested since the Middle Ages, making it one of the oldest vineyards in the Médoc, vine cultivation replaced an ancient rye crop. There were many mills at the time, and it was these that gave Moulis-en-Médoc its name, since in Latin, mill is "molinis." It was the monks who mastered the water system of the jalles, small rivers flowing along the ground in search of a route to the river, forming a marsh. Gradually, the millers disappeared and gave way to winegrowers.

The terroir of Moulis-en-Médoc, a concentration of Médoc

The long history of wine growing in Moulis-en-Médoc explains its location to the west of the Médoc terroir, far from the river, whose humidity was feared at the time because of the rot it caused in the harvests. Today, although the river no longer has any influence, this location is ideal for allowing the grapes to reach the perfect level of ripeness. Between the Garonne gravels to the east and the Pyrenean gravels to the west, there is a clay-limestone soil in the center that is very favorable for the development of the Merlot grape variety. It is not one but three terroirs that make up the terroir of Moulis-en-Médoc, making it, in a way, a concentrate of the entire Médoc terroir.

Merlot, the hallmark of Moulis wines

The presence of Merlot in equal proportions with Cabernet Sauvignon is a characteristic feature of Moulis wines. Merlot gives these wines their suppleness, roundness, and generosity, while Cabernet Sauvignon provides finesse, tannic strength, and aging potential. The complexity of the wines is enhanced by the presence, to a lesser extent, of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Although less common, Carmenère is also used in the blends of Moulis-en-Médoc wines.

The wines of Moulis-en-Médoc, an AOC guarantee of great wines

Although there are no Cru Classé wines in the Moulis-en-Médoc AOC, making it the only communal AOC in this situation, some châteaux, in the opinion of experts, deserve to be classified as such. However, this lack of recognition is certainly an opportunity for consumers. Nevertheless, many wines benefit from the Cru Bourgeois or Cru Artisan appellations. Around fifty winegrowers are present in the terroir and each year produce around 30,000 hl of wine combining finesse and power with red fruit tones and a wide aromatic palette.