2016 Château Moulin Saint-Georges, St Emilion, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
Neal Martin - 28/04/2017
Jancis Robinson - 13th April 2017
About this WINE
Chateau Moulin Saint-Georges
Château Moulin St Georges has been referred to as a junior version of Château Ausone as it is owned by the same proprietors, the Vauthier family. Its 17.3 acres of vineyards are located between those of Ausone and La Gaffelière and are well-sited on a south-west facing slope, known as the Pavie slope. The vineyards are planted with Merlot (66%), the rest (34%) Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The vines are expertly cultivated by Vauthier who firmly believes that a wine's quality is first and foremost a function of the vines and the fruit they bear. Consequently, yields are kept deliberately low and the grapes exclusively hand-harvested. Winemaking takes place in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks and the wine is then matured in 100% new oak barriques for 15-20 months. The wines are bottled unfiltered.
Best of BBX: Bordeaux
Bordeaux is arguably the world’s best-known fine wine region. Here, legendary producers make classically-constructed, age-worthy wines that nearly always benefit from time in the cellar to draw out their full potential. Here is a selection of Bordeaux currently available on BBX.
Merlot
The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux and a grape that has been on a relentless expansion drive throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils and is relatively simple to cultivate. It is a vigorous naturally high yielding grape that requires savage pruning - over-cropped Merlot-based wines are dilute and bland. It is also vital to pick at optimum ripeness as Merlot can quickly lose its varietal characteristics if harvested overripe.
In St.Emilion and Pomerol it withstands the moist clay rich soils far better than Cabernet grapes, and at it best produces opulently rich, plummy clarets with succulent fruitcake-like nuances. Le Pin, Pétrus and Clinet are examples of hedonistically rich Merlot wines at their very best. It also plays a key supporting role in filling out the middle palate of the Cabernet-dominated wines of the Médoc and Graves.
Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in California, Chile and Northern Italy.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
Merlot 80%, Cabernet Franc 20%
The grapes here are nurtured in clay-limestone soils, imparting a distinctive character to the wine. It is hugely expressive on the nose, with red fruits and blackcurrants. There is a delightful interplay of vibrant acidity and lively energy while the ripe tannins guide you towards a lingering, savoury finish.
Berry Bros. & Rudd
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee