Montravel

The Montravel Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) owes its reputation above all to an exceptional terroir, recognized since the creation of the first AOCs in 1936.

The hillsides that make up the bulk of the Montravel AOC terroir extend eastward from those of Saint-Emilion and the Côtes de Castillon. To the west, they mark the entrance to the Bergerac wine region. These foothills of the Périgord Pourpre also form a boundary between the oceanic and continental climates. It is here, at Montravel, that the tidal bore—a surging wave that travels up the Dordogne from the ocean with each tide—comes to an end.

Spanning nearly 2,000 hectares, Montravel’s clay-limestone hillsides are highly conducive to red grape varieties: Merlot, which dominates these clay soils, along with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec—planted at high density (minimum 5,000 vines per hectare)—express in their blend the full complexity of this great terroir, recognized as AOC Montravel Red since the 2001 vintage. While this first AOC of the 21st century is exemplary for the rigor of its production standards and its resolutely “terroir”-focused approach, it is also entirely unique in terms of wine certification. It is, in fact, the first French AOC for still wine to undergo tasting for certification of each vintage after final bottling. This pioneering method guarantees consumers perfect traceability and places Montravel at the forefront of AOCs of excellence.

The color of Montravel red wine is deep and intense. The nose, with notes of black fruit and very subtle roasted tones, evolves over time toward truffle and undergrowth notes. The palate is both powerful and elegant, with well-ripened tannins and remarkable finesse. While Montravel red wine can be enjoyed in its early years for its freshness and fruit, it becomes a distinguished, high-class wine after a few years of aging, as exemplified by the one offered by Château Moulin Caresse.